Alex and his daughter, Alexa Rae heart incredible on their knowledge about wines not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Alex travels the world had explores many vineyards! He has a huge map of Italy and explains the regions of the top wines in each region! I mentioned my son who likes to travel to Italy every year and visit Abruzzo! Alex knew exactly which wine my son enjoyed on his visit to the region! I have never met anybody that knows that much about wine in my life! Alexa Rae is vey knowledgeable as well! I am definitely going to visit his wine shop again before I depart for the mainland! read more

Fun spot to stop and grab a bottle (or two or three!) very kind Staff and a lovely selection. Wine tastings on fridays too! Win-win! It's a cute little shop that is cozy and they give you plenty of space and time to make your selection, but are available if you have any questions! read more

Great selection of hard to find spirits. If you can't find it here, you're unlikely to find on the island.

Alex is a gem! He helped me after a disastrous experience at a competitor's business. Ultimately, the other guy did me a huge favor: Westside Wines has a fantastic selection, genuine customer service, and reasonable prices. Plus, potato chips from Spain! What more could you ask for in a wine shop? Mahalo, Alex!! read more

Not only an excellent selection, great service! Whether you're buying a bottle or six cases, Alex treats you with equal respect; he is a wealth of information in this industry. I've lived on the island for many years and I have been enjoying this wine shop for six years now and I've always had excellent service. Great recommendations. I love that. He knows my pallet and knows what to share with me. The prices are perfectly on point ---other wine shops are five to $10 more per bottle. I don't know why. I literally pray this is one of those local business owners who will always be here. read more

Great selection and the owners are so kind and helpful. When the credit machine didn't work, they ran after us to our car to make sure we were credited properly. I can truly appreciate their service and honesty! read more

Absolute horrible service and prices. Go up to Kona wine and get much better prices and service for the exact same items. The male owner is horrible and talks down to people. read more

If I could do 0 stars I would. So, this guy that owns the shop has some good bottles, Pappy's, George T Stagg, Old Fitz etc., HOWEVER, the good bottles that he has AREN'T FOR SALE, instead just him trying to stroke his ego and show off his private collection/drive traffic into the store. Take your PRIVATE collection home to your PRIVATE home. An example: "Hey come on down to my car dealership I have Lamborghinis." "okay I'm here Id like to buy a Lambo" "unfortunately sir those lambos are mine and you can only buy those Acura's over there" hahaha Furthermore, the owner insisted that other than what was his private collection he still had a great selection, wrong. The second tier bottles that any normal bourbon enthusiast would be interested in? Nope, not for sale either, those are gifts lol. I think they actually might live in the store since they keep their personal items there hahah. All in all, basically an overpriced grocery store liquor store masquerading as a high end wine shop with a private collection you can look at for fun. Eagle Rare = 35-45 bucks Eagle Rare at this place = 95 bucks Attached is the picture put on Yelp by the business owner himself, trying to bait people into coming into the shop just to tell them it's not for sale. How convenient that the picture cuts out the not for sale sign read more

Absolutely love West Side Wines. The owner calls me every time my favorite Whiskey comes in

Love this place. They have a lot to pick from. Alex is very knowledgable and always helps me pick the best of the best Thank you!!! read more

Great customer service and Alex was very knowledgeable and helpful. They also have a wide selection of wine and other alcoholic beverages with different price points. read more

Ask the concierge at any hotel about the best wine shop in the area, and they are likely to reccomend Westside Wines. Alex, who runs the shop is not just a clerk in a wine store, he is a bonifide sommelier. He knows his wines, the wineries and the vinters. He knows how to reccomend the wine(s) that will suit your tastes. He takes shopping for wine to a new level! The selection of wine in this cute wine shop is staggering! The prices are much less for the quality compared to the supermarkets and ABC stores. He features awesome "finds" from $15 to $400+ and an incredible "back room" Sommelier's Choice collection. We ended up buying a few whites that Alex recommended for a special meal (wineries that we didn't know) and we were very impressed. One was $16 and one was $27. He also recommended a nice pinot he got a great deal on, and passed the deal on to us. He had much pricier wines he could have pushed on is, but gave us the best wine value he had. Best part is we were totally treated like long term customers and the experience was great. I would recommend them highly! read more

Westside Wines - Our third wine tasting at Westside, and new flavors and new knowledge every time. Alex and Marion are very helpful. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The selection of wine is staggering! The prices are much less for the quality versus all of the supermarkets and ABC stores. I ended up purchasing 5 bottles two to go with a sushi dinner that were chilled and three to use on another night. The find was a Turley Cedarman for $51. On the mainland I cannot score it for less then $75. Take your time and don't be afraid to ask for help. The owner was a sommelier and knows his wines and how to pair them. His suggestions for the whites to compliment sushi were spot on. read more

Westside Wines - An outstanding wine at a great price! - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Best place to get a good wine with a professional advice! Alex is great! My favorite thing is the fridge with all kinds of cheese. It's so nice that you can get small peaces ! Very reasonable prices! read more

The older local lady working was rude, unhelpful, and condescending. We decided to put our wines back and go somewhere else. Alex has always been great but the woman working was so off putting I didn't want to do business with her. read more

I'm not a drinker, and don't know the first thing about alcohol. I went into the shop today and clearly looked like a deer in headlights. The owner saw me wide-eyed, frozen in place and immediately strode over to offer his help. He asked me a series of questions about what I was looking for, and helped me select three bottles for friends all in our desired price range. He couldn't have been more friendly and helpful- and I will definitely be returning. read more

Great wine selections I was worry about may high prices but they have great wine we can't find at Safeway or KTA also Alexa was attentive and nice . I would mind buy here they have sale wine too but seems good wine! I like them way more than Costco or Safeway or KTA . Please check out! You won't regret read more

Westside Wines - Good deal - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

See all

There's something odd with this store. I went in to buy cocktail ingredients: vermouth and Cherry Heering. The lady running the store told me they didn't have Cherry Heering any more because it's no longer imported into Hawaii. I then saw a bottle sitting on the retail shelves, and said "oh here it is you still have some!" She said I couldn't have it -- even though it was sitting out on a regular retail shelf for all to touch. I also asked about vermouth, which I like to buy in the half bottle (375ml) and she told me they don't sell them anymore "because of the homeless problem." I explained I didn't mean airplane sized bottles, and she said we can't get this 375ml size. So, I left the store. UPDATE: I went to Kona Wine Market and they had PLENTY of Cherry Heering and reassured me that they consistently get it via their distributor. Also, Kona Wine market has the 375ml "half bottles" of vermouth that I was looking for. read more

This shop is an absolute gem! We stopped in the day before our small wedding and the daughter of the owner helped us pick out a BEAUTIFUL sauvignon blanc, rose, and pinot noir. We also picked up an amazing bottle of Kō Hana Agricole Rum (our guests loved this) and a couple of nice bottles of Cabrito tequila. The experience was incredibly smooth and we appreciate this lovely shop and the expertise they offer which helped make our celebration super special. Mahalo! read more

Westside Wines - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

If you appreciate wine and fine liquor this is the place to go. Good prices and over to top information should you desire. Small but wide variety and everything available is hand picked by owner. Such a great find!! read more

Great, friendly service, and very knowledgeable about the product they sell. Great finds for liquor and wine and for a better price anywhere else in Kona. read more

Great store! I stop by almost every Friday to pick up bread that is delivered that day by a bakery in Waimea. They have a large selection of wines and spirits, so when needed, Westside Wines is my go to for our wine, tequila, rum, whisky, what ever for reasonable prices. This week (March 16, 2020) my wife and I returned home from out of the country. Due to all the madness that has ensued do to the virus, we, like many, are sequestering ourselves in our home. I called Alex at Westside wines and asked if he would take an order and let me pay for it over the phone. He filled the order and left the box of goodies outside when my wife arrived so that she wouldn't need to be around other people due to our recent travels. Love this store and their service and highly recommend them for your wine, spirits and gourmet food items. read more

Nice selection of wine at great prices. Trust me, I double checked on some of the wines I bought and they were competitive with the prices online. They have a variety of organic wines for under $15. I bought one, drank it that night, took a nap, and zero headache. If that ain't a selling point! So I went back today and bought 2 bottles of other organic wine. They have tastings on fri and sat from 3-6 that I keep meaning to make. Update: I went for the friday wine tasting, and it was so much fun. Go with a couple of friends! I believe I tried 4 wines and 2 tequilas. And let me tell you, I walked out with a little buzz! Also, I recently discovered that they sell cheese in small portions. I took home 3 and had a cheese out! It was soooo good and it made my day. This is THE PLACE TO GO to pick up some stuff especially for a dinner party. Oh, about that headache free wine I love, its the Organic Heron Cabernet for $12.99. Try it and tell me what you think! read more

Great selection of cheese here. You can buy portioned pieces of cheese for only a few bucks each which is awesome because you can try lots of different kinds without committing to the whole wheel. Only place like it in Kona. Free wine tasting every Friday evening. Knowledgeable staff. Great selection. Cheers! read more

I have been in Westside Wine several times and knew they deal in quality produced. I walked an and said I'm almost ashamed to ask. Do you have Black Box wine. The owner smiled and said no but I can tell you were to find it. He not only told me the store but the exact location in the store. It seems he had ordered the box wine once for a wedding and now on the black box website it will forever say he sells it. There is also a large collection of rare and antique barware. read more

The best fine wine selection on the Big Island. Spirit selection is also well curated. You will find some delectable treats in the small cold case they have - caviar, cheeses, pate, white anchovies from Italy! Do not miss if you are on the island! read more

Alex and Marian are lovely owners and the store has so many exciting choices for wine and liquor. The first time we visited we just grabbed old favorites but the second time Alex gave personal recommendations and insider info (he used to be the sommelier for gourmet local restaurants) and we had a great time making new discoveries. Thanks again for everything! read more

Alex and his wife have a beautiful shop and are both knowledgeable and friendly to boot! I was impressed by the selection, all at reasonable prices. This is the kind of business everyone should support, if you're buying wine at the supermarket you are missing out, visit Westside and try something different you can't get at Safeway or Costco. We settled on a Cahors to go with our steaks from the butcher shop across the parking lot. They also have a really broad selection of scotch, tequila, amaro, etc... This will definitely be a regular stop for us when visiting the Big Island! read more

Alex is absolutely delightful. Knows his wine & will work in your price point. He was kind to my kids who were with me. Has a good cheese selection too read more

Alex was a wonderful help in selecting a rum for our friends. He told us some great stories about his travels and made us feel very welcome. 10/10 for sure. read more

Woohoo is right! Unfortunately, I'm sober today, but i still go in to buy cheese, crackers, sodas, anything to get to hang out and chat with Alex, the owner and his staff! Very warm, friendly and very, very knowledgeable! Check it out! Guaranteed, you won't be underwhelmed.... read more

Live on the mainland and were here for vacation. We know our wines and were very impressed with some of the wines the island had even in local grocery stores. We had about 30 minutes to kill and heard about Westside Wines from the concierge at the Fairmont where we were staying. Westside took it to a new level! They had awesome wines from $15 to $400+ if so inclined. Incredible selection!!!! We ended up buying a few whites that he recommended that we didn't know and we were very impressed. One was $16 and one was $27. Best part is we were totally treated like long term customers and the experience was great. I would recommend them highly!!!!!!!!! Wish I could give more than 5-stars. read more

Great little shop. Recommended a nice pinot he got a great deal on, and passed it on to us. He had much pricier wines he could have pushed on is, but gave us the best wine value he had. We came back for move a couple days later, and got a provost bottle, but the 'deal' was way better. (We picked up one of those too) read more

This was a true diamond in a sea of cubic zecornia! One of a kind wines that can only be found on the island here. Truly a special place. Also, the owner Alex and his beautiful wife Marian were super helpful and made us feel like Ohana. stop by if you're in Kona. I promise you won't be disappointed. read more

Great selection of wines and liquor. Alex has been extremely knowledgeable and helpful when we've wanted input on selecting a wine. Every wine we've ever gotten at Westside Wines has been great, even when we just randomly select something we haven't tried before. We are fortunate to have this gem of a wine shop in Kona. read more

Missed out on Alex this time (he's the owner) but had a productive visit with Patrick. He turned me on the an Arrowood Chard that was buttery and oaky, a throwback to the old-style Napa/Sonoma chards that I dearly love. Something you'll love also are Westside's prices, which are slightly less than than the Kona Competition with no sacrifice in quality. Great place for craft beer, quality liquor, etc. Outstanding shop. read more

I want to be Alex! He has had some of the most amazing experiences in the wine world for over 40 years (he must have gotten his start at 12). His breadth of knowledge is amazing and he is great at being able to make recommendations. He carries some very esoteric, small producers as well as a whole wall of wines under $20 so there's no excuse to shop anywhere else. He offers free tastings on Friday and Saturday afternoons of several wines and a liquor with some bites of cheese. The cheese in the refrigerator is offered in small portions, like someone else mentioned, which is an affordable way to experiment. Alex is the rock star of the wine world! He knows so many of the producers personally and can spin a story about each one! read more

Best wine shop around! Excellent prices, excellent selection and the owner Alex is super knowledgeable about every bottle their store! AND The only place around you can get Italian sheep milk truffle cheese by the slice... Heaven :-) read more

Love the wine selection and the nice man that runs this shop. He only stocks wines he personally enjoys and has lots of unique wines from all over the world. He has an extensive collection of roses, perfect for late afternoons on the island. On Fridays he does an extended, free wine tasting of 5 or so wines. Any wine can be chilled within 7 minutes with his nifty chilling device. read more

Alex always knows which wine pairs well with either my mood or food. The cheeses are delicious and the service excellent