oahu shopping: tamura’s fine wine and liquors
John’s been here 6 years and I’ve been here over 2, and we only just discovered the awesomeness that is Tamura’s Fine Wine and Liquors. Family-owned and in business since the 1920′s, Tamura’s has 3 locations (Waialae, Aikahi and Aiea) and carries an amazing collection of wines, from inexpensive bargains to super high-end splurges, as well as just about every liquor you can think of. Even better, they stock hard-to-find gourmet food items and some pretty famous poke.
We’d heard about Tamura’s from just about all our friends, but only ventured in recently. It was a bit like being a kid in a candy store. I nearly let out an actual squeal when one of Tamura’s staff showed me a sparkling shiraz that I’d only ever found at a wine bar back in New York. Here’s a look at our recent Tamura’s booty:
So what have we here? Clockwise from left…
- Little Canyon Vin du Pays Coteaux de L’Ardeche – with an 86 rating from Wine Spectator, this was a pretty sweet value at only $7.
- Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva – a wine we brought home from Sardegna when we visited last year. We LOVED it, and while we’ve found it at a couple of restaurants on Oahu, this is the first time we’ve seen it in a shop. Score!
- Bleasdale Vineyards, The Red Brute Sparkling Shiraz – this is the one I almost squealed over. I had it at Morrell’s in Rockefeller Center last Christmas, and hadn’t been able to find it on store shelves. I’m loving sparkling reds lately and this one is delicious!
- Carlos Basso Reservado Malbec – a Mendoza malbec that we enjoyed recently at a friend’s house. I had been on the hunt for it, and OF COURSE Tamura’s had it.
- De Cecco Cavatappi – one of our favorite dried pastas, and incredibly hard to find on the island. I’ll be saving it for the next time I make my famous mac and cheese (and of course I’ll share the recipe).
- Boulder Canyon Malt Vinegar and Sea Salt Potato Chips – John and I are both salt and vinegar chip aficionados, and we hadn’t seen this brand before, so we were practically obligated to pick up a bag. The verdict? Yum. The chips are crunchy and thick cut, and the malt vinegar gives them a nice, smooth flavor.
- Lindt Dark Chocolate Sea Salt bar – this was one of my stocking stuffers last Christmas (in New York, where it’s infinitely easier to find whatever you want). We were both hooked on the salty-sweet combo, and had to snap up a bar when we we saw it on the shelf at Tamura’s.
We both walked out of the store grinning like lunatics, and thankful that we escaped without completely emptying the contents of our wallets (we decided to call it quits when our basket was full). Speaking of price, though, Tamura’s is VERY reasonable — we found the wine prices to be slightly better than the supermarkets and most other wine shops. We’ll definitely be back…again and again!
Tamura’s – Waialae
3496 10th Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 735-7100
Tamura’s – Aikahi
25 Kaneohe Bay Drive, Ste 106
Kailua, HI 96734
(808) 254-2000
Tamura’s – Aiea
98-302 Kamehameha Highway
Aiea, HI 96701-4341
(808) 488-7444
