Hawai’i is in my soul because I was born and raised there; lived in the Islands for 42 years before moving to California in 1999. Now whenever I go back, which is never enough times, I explore my home state with the enthusiasm of both a native and a tourist.
When in Rome, as they say, we do as Romans do⏤including eat, drink, and hang around outdoor cafés from early afternoons to the wee hours of the morning. In Rome, especially in the spring and summer, you enjoy light, dry white wines such as Frascati, consuming it like water.
Of course, though, if you happen to be in Florence⏤cycling up and down the green hills of Tuscany, or just getting lost in narrow, maze-like cobblestoned streets of hilltop towns⏤you’re more likely to be enjoying light yet fleshy, dry white wines like Orvieto, or the deeper, regionally grown Vernaccia, if not easier drinking styles of red wine such as the ubiquitous Chianti.
Maybe, instead, you’re in Spain. Hanging out in Pamplona, in between running with the bulls or staying up past midnight rubbing elbows with the natives in noisy bars or restaurantes, where you are probably drinking either a cheap Rioja red or one of the many rosados (dry pinks) now being made from the Tempranillo grape.
In Strasbourg, closer to Germany, you are likely to be sipping elegantly dry Alsatian Rieslings with the bewildering arrays of pâtés or sausages. In Perpignan along the Mediterranean Sea where you are surrounded by hundreds of oyster beds, it’s all about the lemony tart Picpoul de Pinet. In Nice further down along the Mediterranean coast, it’s Cassis rosé or blanc; and in Paris, Chinon, Saumur-Champigny or Beaujolais, red wines that are light and perky enough to drink like de l'eau s'il vous plaît, even over ice in rocks glasses.
Why drink the local, or native, wines wherever you go? Because it’s cultural, it’s tried-and-true, and it makes zero sense to blow against the wind. Man gotta eat, after all; and as Woody Allen once said (about cavemen), “frequently there must be a beverage.”
Hawai’i may not be known for homegrown wines, but the 50th State has evolved its own distinct, and utterly captivating, cuisine; representing a global melting pot of cultures, just like its local residents, who call themselves kama`aina ("children of the land”). Tomatoes grow as refreshingly sweet as tropical fruit in Hawai’i; and there are numerous choices of flaky white fish that melt in the mouth with sensations of the sea or the sizzling white foam rolling up silky smooth beaches, practically screaming for smooth, light and refined wines that tingle the nose and freshen the palate.
Because Hawai’i has long been thoroughly cosmopolitan, Island foods are effortlessly and endlessly varied. There is an everywhere-ness about the people, culture and culinary identity of the Islands, which naturally extends to the types of wines that taste best in this context: Wines made from a globally inspired diversity of grapes from around the world.
So if you happen to find yourself in the Hawaiian Islands anytime soon, think about some of the following tried-and-true wine and food matches when you order up some of the local delicacies. Think “global palate,” like the Islands and Islanders themselves.
Classic Hawaiian foods and recommended wines:
Poke style raw tuna (with soy, sesame oil, sweet Maui onions, fresh chopped seaweed and chili pepper)⏤Look for either an ultra-dry Champagne style sparkler which thoroughly freshen the palate with the briny taste of this red colored fish; although mineral, floral and dried kitchen herb sensations of dry style rosés also make an ideal match. If, however, you are a red wine lover, lighter styles of of Pinot Noir (especially from Oregon or the Côte de Beaune) retain the savoriness of umami to taste just fine with raw tuna and onions.
Flash seared rare tuna in wasabi mustard sauces⏤In my experience, this is another great match for Champagne style sparklers. The soft tannin qualities of Beaujolais are always good red-wine-and-fish matches, but I actually prefer lighter styles of peppery spiced driven reds such as the many red wine variations of Grenache and Pinot Noir, which match the meatiness of the fish and peppery taste of mustard sauces, especially when the almost-raw tuna is prepared with Louisiana style blackened seasonings.
Lomi lomi salmon (chopped salted salmon with tomato, sweet onion and green onion)⏤This is where good, bone dry rosé works really well; although crisp, dry, yet fruit scented whites such as Grenache Blanc, Albariño, Riesling and modern styles of Chenin Blanc (from California, South Africa or Savennières from the Loire) also play nice with the sweet, fresh taste of Hawai’i grown tomatoes and onions (the latter known as Maui onion, purported to be the sweetest in the nation).
Spam musubi & Sushi⏤Virtually any Provençal style dry rosé will do; although softer, gentle cherry/raspberry/strawberry fruit driven styles of Zinfandel as well as Carignan are also ideal with the briny tastes of sushi, as well as the salted pork taste of musubi (a thin slice of Spam and rice soaked in a sweet/salty sauce made from soy sauce, Mirin and sugar, tied together with a strip of nori, or dried seaweed).
Huli-huli chicken (half-a-bird, marinated, rock salted and charcoal grilled)⏤Here, mildly toasty/smoky qualities of barrel fermented whites, such as Chardonnay and some Sauvignon or Fumé Blancs (particularly from Napa Valley) are actually ideal; although, for different reasons, the lemon/lime silkiness of Verdelho, the citrusy/mineral taste of Albariño, as well as the herby/tart taste of Sauvignon Blanc or pure lemon zestiness of Picpoul Blanc all make ideal matches with this style of chicken, with its natural juices sealed in by the brined skins when coming into contact with the high heat of charcoal grills.
Kalua pig (roasted, smoke flavored, rock salted pork)⏤Dry or off-dry varietals of German and/or Austrian lineage such as Riesling, Kerner, Grüner Veltliner or Gewürztraminer take to fork-tender kalua pork like fish to water. But since kalua is also essentially a smokier, saltier, even more mouth-melting version of pulled pork, lighter, soft tannin reds that see a little bit of smoky oak⏤ such as Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, and rounder, medium bodied styles of Zinfandel⏤are also perfectly delicious with this unique Hawaiian delicacy.
Hawaiian beef stew (a.k.a., pipi stew, a slow cooked stew in a winey broth of tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions)⏤Soft, velvety Merlots, Cabernet Francs or easier drinking, value priced supermarket variety Cabernet Sauvignons are all naturals with this Island style dish; although we would also recommended red Italian varietals (particularly Dolcetto, Sangiovese, easier drinking Barbera or Primitivo) have even more of a natural grape acidity to balance the taste of tomatoes in Hawaiian style beef stew.
Mahi-mahi (dolphinfish, often served in French style lemon butter sauces)⏤My personal favorite for Hawaiian fish in general is Cassis blanc from Provence, which are blends of Marsanne, Ugni blanc, Clairette blanche and Bourboulenc (there are now handcraft wineries in California producing similar blends of Southern French white grapes), Among varietals, it is hard to go wrong with virtually any type of crisp, medium bodied whites⏤Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio being the predictable choices⏤but the zingy mineral and citrus notes of Albariño, the flinty/floral taste of Kerner, the tart, briny taste of Assyrtiko, or the pert pear and melon crispness of Grenache Blanc may take you to culinary realms you have never been before with this all-time classic Hawaiian fish.
Misoyaki butterfish (marinated black cod) – A more challenging seafood dish due to the natural oiliness of this fish, soaked in a slightly sweet, earthy marinade made from miso, sugar, sake and Mirin. But if you can get the wine right, oh boy! Off-dry Riesling (such as German halbtrocken), feathery light Torrontés or yeasty méthode Champenoise sparklers (like many of the rosés and blanc de blancs styles), will usually do the trick; although dryer white wines with minerally or flinty, lemon-drop edges⏤such as trocken style Riesling, Albariño, Verdejo, Grenache Blanc or Riibolla Gialla⏤work to freshen the palate, and lighten the aggressive sweet/earthy sensations of the marinated fish.
Grilled or broiled salmon with ponzu sauces⏤To balance the sweet/tart/salty taste of ponzu (Japanese sauce made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin and citrus juice), you really need the highest acid white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, dry style Chenin Blanc, dry Rieslings, or Picpoul Blanc; although red wine lovers would just as soon enjoy softer, fruitier styles of Zinfandel or Grenache with this countrified Japanese style dish.
Korean style short ribs of beef (a.k.a., kalbi, prepared with soy/garlic/ sugar/sesame seed marinades)⏤Sweetly spiced and perfumed, beefy varietal reds such as Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre blends as well as fuller bodied Zinfandels all do the trick with Korean ribs, which are usually hot iron or charcoal grilled to take on additional notes of char⏤all the better with red wines aged in toasty/smoky oak.
Teriyaki beef or pork (sweet soy sauce/ginger marinades)⏤The more exotic taste of ginger (as opposed to the garlic flavored taste of Korean marinades) in Hawaiian style teriyaki meats love the jammy berry taste of rich Zinfandels, more intense Syrahs, and Petite Sirahs laden with peppercorn and blueberry sensations. This, in fact, is a case where dry-ish Bordeaux style varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Malbec) generally do not gel quite as well because teriyaki marinated beef is inundated in sweet/salty soy marinades. An exception, though, is a smooth, oak aged, raspberry liqueur-like Cabernet Franc, which can be very teriyaki-friendly.
Surf's up!
