Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Tedeschi Winery
The expansive beauty of Ulupalakua Ranch and the winery that goes along with it alone
makes a trip to this winery worth the drive. Yes, there is a winery on Maui and they
serve more than just pineapple wine. While
Tedeschi Winery
(Ulupalakua Ranch, 808/
878-6058,
www.mauiwine.com
,
10am-5pm daily) does produce three varieties of wine
which are derived from pineapples, the Ulupalakua grape vines also produce grenache,
malbec, syrah, viognier, and chenin blanc varietals. What makes the winery a must-see is
that in addition to the complimentary tastings, the grounds and tasting room are sights un-
to themselves. The tasting room bar is 18 feet long and made from a single mango tree,
and the tasting room itself served as the guesthouse for King David Kalakaua's visit to the
ranch in April 1874. There's a small historical room attached to the tasting area that details
the history of the ranch, and free guided tours discuss how this land has gone from being a
potato farm to a sugar plantation to a fully functioning cattle ranch and vineyard. Many of
the trees which surround the tasting room are over 100 years old, most of them having been
imported by former ranch owner Captain James Mackee—a whaling ship captain—who
collected them as specimens on his ocean voyages around the globe. The cannon that rests
in the yard outside the winery was fired to greet King Kalakaua upon his arrival. The com-
bination of the history, the wine, the ranching atmosphere, and the scenery make Tedeschi
Vineyards a must-stop. Or, as part of an alternate itinerary, you can visit the tasting room
in the late afternoon if you are driving the back road from Hana.
Hale-a-ka-la: House of the Sun. Few places are more aptly named in the Hawaiian lan-
guage than this 10,023-foot volcano. Dormant since its last eruption in 1790 (the summit
area has been inactive for 600 years), Haleakala has been the site of grandiose experien-
ces since before the arrival of humans. Bubbling over 30,000 feet from the seafloor below,
only one-third of the mountain's mass exists above water, with the remaining 20,000 rest-
ing silently beneath the ocean. Along with neighboring Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa—two
peaks on the Big Island which are visible from the summit—Haleakala ranks as one of the
largest mountains on earth.
Stoic and spellbinding, its lofty summit was where the Polynesian demigod Maui cap-
tured the sun in mythology. Legend states that since the sun would race across the sky far
too quickly to allow any crops to grow or any daily tasks to be accomplished, Maui snared
the sun with his great net and only agreed to let him go if he promised to slow his path,
thereby providing enough warmth for farmers to grow their crops and for life on the island
