Marvelous Maui, September 2009

Ever since my first trip to Hawai’i, I have felt a special bond with these isolated, unique, and hauntingly beautiful islands. During that first visit we stayed in West Maui, near Lahaina, and loved the area so much, we have continued to vacation on that side of the island. I could write at length about the wonderful restaurants and the lavish meals we’ve had…but this is a wine blog and I’ve already digressed into food once, so I’m going to focus on one place where we had an interesting experience with wine. Now if I were writing about Mai Tais, I would rave about Hula Grill (just saying…)

Pacific’o, Lahaina, HI

This restaurant is a favorite for several reasons. First there’s the setting, on the beach in Lahaina, and so drop-dead gorgeous I want to stay forever. I suspect any wine would be heavenly here, just because the setting puts me in such a relaxed, happy mood. I plan to investigate this theory at length on our next trip. During this visit to Pacific’o, our charming waiter told us about a special pinot noir that was being offered for $25 a glass. I laughed out loud and then asked him what pinot noir possibly could be worth that much? He described the wine, and his eloquent description convinced me to try it.

Domaine Serena Willamette Pinot Noir 2006

Bliss in a bottle. The vintner is an artist. The nose was quite astonishing for a pinot, with hints of fruit, floral, and spice. The front of the wine is truly pinot noir with lovely notes of dried cherry, spice cake, and a little bit of leather. The middle was where I got quite a bit more of the leather and a rich, complex, balance between fruit and spice, most notably clove and nutmeg. The finish was almost like a cabernet, deep and complex, with lingering pepper and cherry on the tongue. Even now, a year and a half later, as I post this I can still clearly remember the smell and taste of this wine. I really loved this wine, and I especially enjoyed it sitting on the beach in Lahaina at Pacific’o. Oh, oh, oh.

Other Maui Favorites:

Mama’s Fish House, Paia

Lahaina Grill, Lahaina

Hula Grill, Ka’anapali

Aloha Mixed Plate, Lahaina

We are headed back to Maui in February 2011, so look for more tasting notes from that trip. If I decide to return to the mainland…