Oh and this goes without saying but don't bring kids. The drive and views are the real event but MauiWine is a great excuse to drive to a part of the island you might not otherwise visit. So bottom line, if you're looking for a break from the beach in Maui and want to get away from the heat and crowds, this place is a great excuse to make an excursion to Maui "Up Country" as they call it. We had some nice brie with nuts and guava jelly. The pineapple wine is interesting, especially the dry sparkling version. With that said, it's a quaint, well-run place. It's a bit of a tourist trap to be honest. It's just a cafe with some light appetizers and their wines on the menu to try. There's no actually winery to tour, no grapes being crushed. The most interesting thing to taste is their pineapple wine, just so you've had the experience. If you know much about wine you'll already be wondering how good their wine can possibly be and let's face it, this is not a NAPA calibre winery. I would be furious because It's a long drive up country to get there and there's not much else to do in that part of the island. The pamphlets and ads you see for this place don't mention that but we saw people being turned away because they didn't make a reservation. Here's the scoop on MauiWine and what to expect:īefore anything else, know that you need to make a reservation. I would love to understand how this winery went from a place brimming with Aloha spirit where each visitor was made to feel part of the ohana to a cold business where every visitor is just another customer. I am confused, hurt and rather embarrassed that my friends were treated so poorly. Traditionally, I would have purchased more than a case but this time, I was so disappointed I made no purchase. The other waited it out with me and tried a couple of wines. One friend felt so unwelcome she went back to the car. Upon arrival we were met by a hostess whose only welcome was a rather sharp, "do you have a reservation?" No welcome, no have you been here before, no explanation that things have changed, no reception at all beyond the demand for a reservation. As such, this trip was with friends and, after telling them about my previous experience here, I convinced them to stop on the way back from our road to Hana trek. Unfortunately, I lost him last year (covid). My husband and I made many trips to this winery since 2009 and always felt so very welcome. We just want to say mahalo nui loa to all the staff at Maui Winery. But really it is the people that work there who make such a difference. Just beautiful unique gardens while you sit on the patio of a very historic building with wonderful wines and delectable noshes to accompany it. Don't come if you are planning to rush past the beauty of the grounds and the wonderful people there, come and savor the wine, the food, the great staff and the ambiance! Maui is no different than the rest of the US with the economy humming along and worker shortages, so we always book well in advance and have the most enjoyable and amazing experience. This is not a Chick-fil-A joint that churns em through, it's a relaxing and reviving experience we highly recommend. Go for a walk in the beautiful gardens and enjoy the surroundings. If that's the case, relax, you are on Maui. And yes, you do need to make reservations well in advance because space is limited in all restaurants.Īnd there are times that perhaps a table is not available even with a reservation because this is an intimate setting with uncrowded conditions and maybe the previous guests took a bit longer than expected. I think others have inappropriately vented their anger at the fact that they don't understand how popular Maui is right now for tourism and reservations are required almost everywhere. it's just the best aloha spirit of all the places we have gone on Maui. They truly made the visit so special and welcoming. We had the most amazing experience from the moment we were very warmly welcomed by Jan, the hostess, to the phenomenal service of Lindsey and all the other great staff here.
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