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Wine shines at new Eastside bar

A La Carte

June 23, 2019

Story By: Caroline Wright | Photos by: ANTHONY CONSILLIO

Mixed Board of Edie’s Favorite Picks ($26)

With 32 wines available by the taste, glass, or bottle, and a fine menu of small plates and desserts, D’Vine Kailua Wine Bar offers a delightful experience to aspiring oenophiles, and everything a couple or a group of friends might need for a convivial evening. Co-owned by sisters Maureen Nelson and Geri Bennett and David Bennett (husband of Geri), the charming little bistro, opened June 5 in Kailua’s Lau Hala Shops, sells wines that reflect the tastes of all three partners.

From old world to new, there’s a vintage for every palate. Glasses are “poured” by temperature-controlled state-of-the-art Italian wine dispensing machines. D’Vine’s Smart Card is a pre-loaded card ($20 minimum), perfect for sampling a variety of wines to pinpoint those that suit your tastes.

Interior of D’Vine Kailua

“People can also purchase a bottle of any wine we sell to take home,” says Geri Bennett. “We’ve tried hard to feature wines you won’t commonly find all over the island.”

Highlights include the Lassegue Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2009 ($39 per glass; $156 per bottle), with notes of ripe Cabernet Sauvignon, gloriously aromatic Cabernet Franc, and old vine Merlot, and the Etude Carneros Pinot Noir 2014 ($20 per glass; $60 per bottle), a blend of the best grapes from the Los Carneros wine region of Napa and Sonoma.

Etude 2014 Pinot Noir ($20 glass; $60 bottle) and
2009 Lassegue ($39 glass; $156 bottle)

For pairings, D’Vine’s Cheese & Chocolate Board ($14) features Manoa Chocolate, made in Kailua, and a rotating variety of delectable cheeses, perfect for two to share. Groups of four will enjoy Edie’s Favorite Picks ($26), a selection of charcuterie and cheeses, with savory crackers, dried fruits, island olive oil and bread.

Decorated in a style Bennett describes with a chuckle as “industrial eclectic Kailua Beach mix,” D’Vine boasts a bar made from reclaimed Sumatran boat planks and tables of 300-year-old cedar. There’s also a stunning mural by local artist Kristie Kosmides.

Cheese and Chocolate Board ($14)

Kailua, HI 96734

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