ULU

You're sitting oceanside at the Four Seasons Hualalai, waves crashing, trade winds doing their thing — and then the wine list arrives and it's exactly what you'd expect from a luxury resort in Hawaii. Competent, safe, and priced for people who just charged a $600 room to their corporate card. It won't disappoint you, but it won't surprise you either.

The list clocks in around 80-120 bottles with a clear tilt toward California, France, and Italy — the exact trio Wine Spectator flagged when handing out the Award of Excellence this place has held since 2020. You've got Caymus Cab, Duckhorn Merlot, Louis Jadot Burgundy, and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio doing the heavy lifting, which tells you everything about who this list is built for: resort guests who want something they recognize. There's nothing here from Hawaii's own small-but-growing wine scene, which feels like a missed opportunity given the setting. The French representation leans on Louis Jadot rather than anything with a sense of adventure, and the Italian side is similarly middle-of-the-road.

Ten to sixteen options by the glass with a spread from $12 to $18, which is reasonable for a Four Seasons property — we've paid more for worse at far less impressive zip codes. The pours seem to rotate on the slower side, so don't expect a surprise new addition every visit. What you see is largely what you get, week to week.