Wine Loft & Sake Collection move into Kaka'ako

Nadine Kam photos
Sukit Kanaprach and Rebecca Sinn Kanaprach, at far left, observe the Shinto ceremony that mark the opening of their Kaka’ako Wine Loft & Sake Collection.

Kaka’ako Wine Loft & Sake Collection celebrated its grand opening at 665 Halekauwila St. C-107 in Kaka’ako on Thursday with a Shinto blessing followed by wine and sake tasting.

Guests were greeted with flower lei from owner Sukit Kanaprach and wife Rebecca Sinn Kanaprach’s other business, The Orchid Lei Co. (And the joke was, no one knows what kind of host or hostess gift to bring them now that flowers, wine and sake are out!)

Well-wishers filled the small, but well-stocked shop, a welcome neighbor in Kaka’ako, which the couple calls home.

Congratulatory messages were welcome on a posterboard set up for the occasion.

The store is designed so you can zero in on your favorite style of wine easily.

Rebecca is a fan of rosés, and these are priced from about $13.29 to $14.69.

Apparently, the two are an odd couple when it comes to their tastes in wine. Her preference is for rosés and sauvignon blancs, whereas he likes a deep red, but between them they cover the gamut of whites to reds.

Sukit has been a student of wine for years, an oenophile since he was a teenager reading up on wines, and waiting for the day he could take his first legal sip.

Evergreen foliage is presented to Sukit as a symbol of abundance.

There are sections devoted to the Italians, the French and the Americans.

Among the Americans is Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom’s Napa Valley merlot.

Sea Salts of Hawaii products are also being sold at the shop.

The Shinto ritual took place in front of the sake and shochu showcase.

Sake lovers looking for something different will find effervescent sparkling sake. In the spirit of discovery, the shop will be hosting its first sake tasting from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday. Drop by if interested.

They are also making delivery service available within a 3-mile radius of shop — which means if you’re in downtown Honolulu, you’re in luck. Call (808) 545-7756 or visit www.wineandsake.com. Shop hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
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Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her coverage is in print on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.