Traveling and Tasting Through Hawaii

Volcano Winery, Volcano Hawaii

Are you a big wine travel geek? Basically plan all your vacations around wine regions and wineries? I do! However I do consider other people’s vacation destinations as well – I know so nice of me right, also I couldn’t quite argue with Hawaii!

I have never been to Hawaii before this trip and was more than excited to go. Yes Hawaii is not known for their high in demand wine regions but that doesn’t mean Hawaii doesn’t produce high quality food and drink. For being a chain of relatively small islands one of Hawaii’s main sources of revenue is agriculture. Top products being coffee, bananas, papayas, macadamia nuts, and flowers. I even got to visit the Akatsuka Orchid farm in Hilo Hawaii. So while I acknowledge that wine grapes are not on that list it will not deter me from tasting some local wines. When we made plans for this trip I didn’t even think about searching for a winery in Hawaii. The climate of Hawaii seems like it would be next to impossible to grow vines. Originally I thought the climate would be too warm and that could cause the vines to skip their dormancy period in winter; without this period the vines cannot even produce grapes for the following season. Turns out the greatest difficulty with growing wine grapes in Hawaii is finding a grape that can withstand all the rain. Depending on what island you are on, and even certain parts of the island, will greatly influence how much rain the region receives. And let’s make this very clear, Hawaii is basically a rainforest. While Hilo, Hawaii is the wettest US city and Mt Waialeale in Kauai is the 2nd most wettest region in the world. Not all of the islands are like this but nevertheless we brought rain jackets with us on our vacation. We ended up not needing them however we got lucky, it definitely rained just not while we were there.

Of course all things that grow need water and it’s helpful if you can receive the bulk of your water through rainfall. Not quite the scenario in California. Too much rain can pose several problems. It can make the perfect conditions for mold and mildew, which can lead to volatile acidity in your wine or ruin the entirety of the crop. Too much rain can also cause erosion issues, I’ve seen entire rows of vines taken out due to rainstorms. If large amounts of rain come towards harvest the grapes will actually absorb the water from the vine causing grapes to either burst causing more rot and mildew, or dilute the flavors and sugar content in the grapes making less than desirable wine. So yes lots of problems associated with too much rain but where there is a will there’s a way and these wine growers down in Hawaii were up to the challenge. 

Like I mentioned before when we planned this trip to Hawaii I had no intention on wine exploring but as I was looking at different excursions offered by our cruise line I found this one on Hilo, Hawaii that included a waterfall, black sand beach, a coffee roaster, and a winery!!! Without a moment hesitation we signed up for it and I am so glad we did. I didn’t spend too much time researching the winery as I knew we were receiving a tour and tasting once we arrived. I did start to theorize that they must be working with hybrid grapes (grapes that have been crossed or hybridized with others to extract certain desirable characteristics – think about breeding dogs lol). I couldn’t possibly imagine that grapes that I normally work with would survive or thrive in the Hawaii climate. I also started guessing that they make fruit wines as well because they definitely grow all kinds of tropical fruit in Hawaii. My instincts were not far off! Upon listening and learning through the tour I learned the winery was established in the 1980s and in that time have experimented with all kinds of different varietals, they knew that they needed a tough grape to do well in the warm rainforest type climate. And they found it! The first grape they grew successfully is called the Symphony grape, a hybrid grape first developed at UC Davis. This is a white wine grape that is thick skinned helping withstand the large amounts of rain. The grape is a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. Also should mention that Hawaii’s soil is well adapted to the rain, there is basically not top soil to speak of and its mostly volcanic rock- which is extremely porous and allows water to move quickly through so vines stay in place and do not get water logged.

I was so excited to try the Symphony wine! A variety that I have never tried or even heard of before?!? Yeah I was excited. As we started our tasting I began to scan their menu. As I had guessed yes they  were also showcasing fruit wines that were blended with the Symphony grape too. Not only did they offer this white wine but also had a Pinot Noir, a red blend and rose styled wine made with both Symphony grapes and jaboticaba berries, and also offered two very different styled meads, one with Macadamia Nuts and the other with Green Tea. I was so interested in all these wines and meads! I especially love how they really have incorporated local fruit, home grown teas, and even local macadamia nuts into their drinks. To me this is showing local culture, tastes, cuisine, and passion all in one place. I really enjoyed the vibe.

Small item that is worth mentioning. They have recently successfully grown and harvested Syrah grapes on their vineyard. Production is small and extremely limited so we were not able to taste it but something to look forward to.

So the place is cute and is extremely Hawaiian in all aspects but what about the actual wines? Were they any good? Yes and yes! I was really impressed with the overall quality of the wines, while some for me stood out way above the others all wines were made without any flaws, faults, and had their own character. Out of my family we all had our own favorites but I am going to list mine, cause its my blog lol, here ya go!

–Symphony Dry

A perfect expression of Symphony- at least to my knowledge. Really enjoyed this wine- aromatic were intense and pronounced. A classic dry white wine with aromas of peach, apricot, lychee, golden apple, and persimmon. Wine was clean and of high quality. At least a perfect example of mainland styled wine done in Hawaii. I see this wine pairing with traditional Hawaiian BBQ, grilled chicken or ono, rice or pasta dish. 

–Symphony Melee

100% Symphony grape made in a slightly sweetened style. Not as sweet as a typical dessert wine but just a tad sweet making it a perfect accompaniment for your more spicy foods, think Thai curry, hot wings, or spicy BBQ sauce. While sweet wines are not my usual go to I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this wine. Their Symphony grapes seem to retain great acidity adding balance in the wine as well as giving the wine more complexity and more interesting. Both the Melee and Dry styles stay alive and vibrant on the palate. With the Melee I find a bit more tropical fruit notes than in the Melee, with mango and pineapple highlighting the aromas.

This wine is a blend of the Symphony grape and Guava also grown locally. While this wine was also in the sweeter style, it was also not suite sweet enough for a dessert styled wine. This wine I just found fun and tasty. Also made high in quality this wine screams out Guava flavors and aromas. I brought this wine to Christmas dinner actually not knowing how everyone would react. Turns out my family loved it! It went great with the our cheese and crackers and even with the Christmas ham. The wine finished smooth with a light buttery nutty note. Very interesting and a must try.

Overall I was very happy with our little trip around part of the Big Island and Hilo. It was a beautiful day made even better by the exceptional wines we tried, also the home cooked Hawaiian BBQ we had for lunch. I found the winery to be cute and quaint with knowledgeable staff who all work together to produce a great product. I also admire and love the creativity of the winemaker and their team. For me it was a perfect example of wine done right in Hawaii. Anyone with a slight interest in wine and traveling to the Big Island will not be disappointed that they came by for a taste. Sip, savor, and enjoy the moment, I know we did with our day in Hilo Hawaii. Try something new and unexpected and you might just surprise yourself.