Aloha, readers! I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but for the last several weeks we have had nothing but blue skies and full sunshine, albeit with freezing temperatures. If you didn’t have to feel the cold, and ignored the bare trees, you would think you were somewhere warm and humid. Somewhere tropical, even.
Let’s take a break from our usual Cab and Chardonnay and venture into other realms and regions for wine. Let’s entertain some novel possibilities. As you know, wine can be made from more than just grapes; see my past posts on blackberry wine and mead, for example.
Today I’m going to take you on a whirlwind tour to Maui, introduce you to a delightful sparkling pineapple wine, and rock your world with to-die-for Hula Pork Sliders. This is a food and wine equation that yields exponential bliss – read on!
Last April I was fortunate to travel to Maui and enjoy an afternoon wine tasting at Maui Wine, in the Ulupalakua upcountry. If you are a wine lover who happens to be vacationing on Maui, this is definitely worth the drive up the mountain. Behold the beauty! You can learn more about the Maui Wine experience here.
At this idyllic winery, with a rich and varied history (the King of Hawaii used to party here), you can do tastings that feature pineapple based wines, whites, or reds. They gladly poured us tastes of other wines even if those wines were not on our flight. Lovely aloha spirit. 🌺
My favorite red wine that day was the 2022 GSM, from grapes grown in the Ulupalakua Vineyards AVA. It’s a blend of 69% Syrah, 18% Grenache, and 13% Malbec. I believe I enjoyed it more than the single varietal wines. Sometimes at a winery it’s the opposite; I prefer the single varietals over the blends. 
Other favorites were the Lokelani Sparkling Rosé and Lehua Raspberry Dessert Wine (made from raspberries from Walla Walla, Washington – on Maui!). Tart, light, just the right amount of sweet. Scrumptious! And I’m in love with this label (Valentine’s is coming soon, ahem). 
But the wine I want you to really pay attention to is the Hula O Maui Pineapple Sparkling Wine. This was given to me as a gift by my sister and brother-in-law who live there, and I didn’t open it up until after I got home since I was waiting to pair the wine with this special recipe. I think I need to order some more of this wine, it was truly special. Sparkling wine is admittedly not my jam, but this won me over and I will happily imbibe this any time.
Maui Wine uses fine Maui Gold pineapples that are not quite ripe to contribute fresh aromatic qualities to the wine. It is a wine made in the traditional method, the same as French Champagne and certain other sparkling wines. I actually really liked this wine and honestly prefer it to traditional sparkling wine made from grapes, even though some of those are excellent. This wine was pure refreshment and made the perfect accompaniment to the pork sliders.
Hula O Maui Sparkling Pineapple Wine
- $26/bottle
- Super pale straw/lightest lemon yellow
- Light, delicate body with fine perlage (bubbles/carbonation)
- Semi-dry
- Aromas of pineapple, macadamia nut, green papaya, toast
- An elegant sparkling wine that stays true to the character of the pineapples it’s made from
And for the ultimate food pairing with this wine, here is my take on Half Baked Harvest’s decadent Hawaiian-style pork sliders from the cookbook, Half Baked Harvest. Pulled pork is one of the darn tastiest things I have ever eaten, and this recipe just may be my ultimate favorite. Do not let my quick, mediocre photo dissuade you. Enjoy! 😋
These are absolutely worth the effort, and pure bliss with the sparkling pineapple wine. Paradise!
Hula Pork Sliders
Recipe courtesy of Tieghan Gerard
Half Baked Harvest Cookbook: Recipes from My Barn in the Mountains
Makes 12 sliders
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/4 cups pineapple juice
- 1 – 1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or use refrigerated ginger paste like I do)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 2-3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
- 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder or butt, cut into two pieces
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 6 large pineapple rings, halved
- 12 Hawaiian slider buns
- 12 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded green lettuce or cabbage (bagged coleslaw mix works great)
- Melted butter (optional)
- Poppy seeds (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, and sriracha.
- Place the pork in a Dutch oven and pour over half the sauce. Cover and transfer to the oven. Roast for 3 to 4 hours, or until the pork is falling off the bone and shreds easily – check the pork once or twice throughout cooking to be sure the sauce is not reducing too much. If it is, add the remaining sauce as needed to keep the pork moist. The pork should be submerged in liquid at least halfway. Shred the pork and add some of the remaining pineapple sauce to the pot, if desired.
- Heat the broiler to high with a rack in the top third.
- In a large skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the pineapple slices and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until caramelized.
- Arrange the bottom halves of the slider buns on a baking sheet and add a scoop of pork to each. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese. Place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Top each slider with a slice of caramelized pineapple and shredded lettuce or cabbage. If desired, brush the top of each bun with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
The Rambling Vine 