A Thriving Viniculture: Hawaii’s Wineries

While most people may think of coffee, tropical fruits, and macadamia nuts as the primary produce of Hawaii, several local companies are using Hawaii’s grapes and other fruits to bottle their own specialty wines right here on the islands.

Maui Wine

Maui Wine, situated at 1,800 feet above sea level on the southern side of the Haleakalā volcano on Maui, has been in production for forty years. Formerly a sugar plantation and later a cattle ranch, their 23 acres of Maui countryside has a long history of agricultural productivity. Some of the winery’s first bottles of champagne were served at President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration ceremony in 1981.

Views of the beautiful Maui Winery | Photo credit: MauiWine.com

With four million visitors to the winery each year, they have continued to expand their availability across the U.S. and even into Switzerland, Japan, and Guam. Find information about ordering and more photos of their beautiful grounds on their website.

Volcano Winery

Volcano Winery on the Big Island has been making their wines with grapes from their property for nearly thirty years. Still family-owned today, the winery successfully blends exotic fruits such as starfruit, lilikoi, and papaya with their grapes. They have even experimented with using honey produced by local bees in their wines. Only available at retailers across the Hawaiian Islands, you can also order their selection of wines on their website, to be shipped to most states in the U.S.

Volcano Winery, located near Volcano National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii | Photo compliments of Google Earth

Interested in Trying Hawaii-Made Wines?

Both wineries are open to visitors year-round. Check their websites for opportunities to visit their vineyards, or try their Hawaii-made wines.