A winery in Hawaii? Yep, it’s true. The Volcano Winery just outside of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a unique sort of wine experience. What makes it unusual isn’t just that they’re producing wine out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but they’re using some unusual fruits that you’re not going to find in the continental USA. Fruit wines have been around for a long time, but I think what you find at the Volcano Winery is really rare.
Am I recommending you visit the Volcano Winery and leave with a case of wine? Not necessarily, but I think it’s really interesting to do a full wine tasting. We’ve got the scoop on what you’ll experience at the Volcano Winery and even what our top picks are. If you have any questions about visiting the Volcano Winery or other agritourism you can enjoy on the Big Island, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to provide addition info and recommendations!
Why visit the Volcano Winery?
I’m really careful about putting a negative spin on things, and enjoy writing about the good things I encounter. With the Volcano Winery, I think going into it knowing that they’re creating a unique product is important to a certain extent. They bring in grapes from the mainland for making a lot of their wine and then they also grow grapes and other fruit. I would say that the unique Hawaiian elements they use in their winemaking is what makes visiting the Volcano Winery worth visiting.
Having worked with lots of winemakers in another life and having had lots of different wines of varying calibers, I’ll say that what I tried at the Volcano Winery didn’t leave me wanting more, but when you look at it from a niche winemaking perspective it takes on a different impression. They’re working with limited estate grapes and other fruits grown in the Hawaiian Islands, so they are creating palatable wines without the vast breadth of grape selection many winemakers have access to. They’re doing a good job and they’re representing how unique the agricultural offerings are on the Big Island of Hawaii.
The jaboticaba berries or guava they use for wine making are unlike anything you’ll get in the popular wine regions of the lower 48. And then the dessert wines are unique to themselves. Really, visiting the Volcano Winery is a very different experience if you enjoy wine culture and process.
Tips for a Great Volcano Winery Visit
Even if the wines from the Volcano Winery aren’t my favorite, I do like how they set up their tastings and manage their tasting room. There is a tasting fee ($20 USD) and with that you get to try everything they have available at the moment. One of the staff of the winery will share some details with you about the wine and guide you through the tasting, and for the more unique wines that utilize Hawaiian fruits, they have really good info to share which helps you progress through the tasting.
Really, the guava and jaboticaba berry additions are so unusual and for a wine person, you’ll know there’s something different about the fruits they’re using. The Volcano Winery does get busy, for sure. Between tour groups that make the stop and independent travelers going between Hilo and the Kona Coast, there are people coming and going all the time. I would recommend stopping in early in the day if you can. If you’ve spent your morning in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, pop into the Volcano Winery before or after lunch for a tasting. If it’s not too busy, you can do the whole tasting experience in about a half hour. If you show up and the tasting room is full, it may take up to 45 minutes.
So Should I stop at the Volcano Winery?
If you’re pinched for time, I would advise to skip the Volcano Winery. It’s neat and they have a very unique product, but it’s not something that will knock your socks off, in my opinion. It’s a cool operation, similar to the Maui Chocolate Tour or doing coffee tastings at Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation, but my wine preference isn’t quite as wild as the Volcano Winery. If you can visit as part of a group tour, I think you’ll enjoy the group tasting and education element.
TIP: if you want do actually tour the winery and vineyard, you can reserve that 24 hours in advance for an afternoon tour. It’s $40 per person for wine and tea tastings.
Volcano Winery Operating Info
To complete your planning, here is all the information to plan your afternoon stop into the Volcano Winery.
- Operating Dates/Season: daily from 12:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Tasting room phone number: 808-967-7772
- Company website: VolcanoWinery.com
- Tasting room address: 35 Piimauna Drive, Volcano, HI 96785
More Hilo Things to Do
Hilo is a very fun and functional city. It’s very chill and the surrounding area is absolutely beautiful. Hilo serves as a wonderful home base for exploring both Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the area from Hilo up through the Hamakua Coast. There are plenty of scenic drives on the Big Island. You can easily enjoy the city itself, the beaches and the natural wonders all the way to the Waipio Valley and return to your stay each evening. Such a great hub. Here are my favorite things to do when we’re in Hilo.
- paddleboard on Hilo Bay or Reed’s Bay
- hiking at Akaka Falls State Park
- day trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- visit Lavaloha Chocolate Farm
- do the Onomea Bay Trail
- drive up Mauna Kea to the visitor center and observatories
- enjoy the Hilo farmers market
- drive up to the Hamakua Coast, stopping at Laupahoehoe Beach Park and all the farm stands
- BONUS: if there’s an eruption, visit Hawaii Volcanoes NP for lava glow
You can easily spend four or five days in Hilo exploring the east coast of the Big Island, but these ideas are a good start if you are limited for time.
More Hilo travel ideas:
Where to Stay in Hilo
When you’ve made your way to the east side of the Big Island, you’ll be able to choose where you want to stay, and that may not actually be directly in Hilo. There are lots of unique inns and bed and breakfasts from the town of Volcano all the way up the coast to Honokaa (such a cute town). I like to stay in Hilo proper as there are great biking areas and tons of great restaurants, but some people prefer a quieter atmosphere. Find a hotel or vacation rental below.
More About Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is my FAVORITE of all the National Parks I’ve been to (including Denali National Park in Alaska) so I have lots to say and share about visiting and how to have the best experiences here. Whether you are just stopping in on your drive between Hilo and Kailua-Kona or you are staying in the park during an epic Kilauea eruption, visiting and enjoying the park can be a part of any trip to the Big Island of Hawai’i.
Have you gotten to really dig into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or are you just scratching the surface? However you want to plan your visit, there are always things to do, even when there’s not an eruption at the moment. Check out our ideas for enjoying the park and experiencing Tūtū Pele and all her wonders.
I hope you’ll consider doing stopping into the Volcano Winery. It’s really quite unique and you may really enjoy the experience. If you have any other questions about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or the drive between Hilo and Kona, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a beautiful Hawaii trip. Aloha!
