The People’s Wine Shop

PWS is a cute store located on King St. right before Piikoi, opened by a couple of oenophiles who want — yep, you guessed it — people to enjoy wine. Their selection is not as extensive as some of the other, older wine shops, but what they carry is usually easy on your palate, and your wallet.
I found several bottles of very affordable proseccos (italian sparkling) that went down easy (too easy) with some salmon at home. They also have a selection of Italian and French stuff, which seems to be increasing in supply and popularity as some of the Napa wineries become too big for their britches and charge scary amounts for a bottle of wine.
The store will also sometimes get hard-​to-​find wines at decent prices, and if you have any questions, feel free to talk to Andre or his partner. They are not snooty like some wine folks I’ve encountered but know what they’re talking about.
There’s also a small but interesting selection of beers if you don’t feel like wine that night. If you’re eating somewhere nearby (like the Thai place), drop by the store to pick up a bottle or two to quaff with your evil jungle prince chicken. Tastings are offered Thu and Fri b/​t 5 – 7. Parking is behind the store or on the street.
The store’s more like 3.5 stars because the staff is friendly and the selections will not overwhelm you if you’re new to the wine scene.

Honolulu has a nascent wine culture, and this two person shop has caught the wave perfectly. It’s pretty difficult to find a modestly priced but knowledgeable wine shop (by that I mean, under $ 20 per bottle) near the Waikiki maelstrom. We stumbled upon it after searching in desperation, discouraged by the paucity of affordable stock and friendly service wine shops in Honolulu. We were pleasantly surprised by the fully stocked shelves filled with interesting Australian, California, and Spanish varietals. We happily purchased several bottles of very decent wines for a grand total of $ 33. On the plus side, they stay open until 8 p.m., so that when we suppered at Bac Nam across the street (which doesn’t have a beer or wine license), we could raid their ample refrigerated beer selection and supplement our dinner there. I recommend doing both.