The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea will host an exclusive culinary experience on Thursday, Dec. 11, featuring IWA 5 of Japan, the acclaimed sake house founded by Richard Geoffroy, former legendary chef de cave of Dom Pérignon.

Described as an intimate four-course dinner, the evening will showcase pairings of IWA 5 sake with dishes by Executive Chef Ryan Cruz. It is limited to 30 guests.

The experience begins with a canapé reception and continues through courses inspired by Hawai‘i’s local flavors. Each pairing is curated to reveal the depth and elegance of IWA 5 sake.

This marks a rare meeting of the minds between a world-renowned champagne maker turned sake visionary and a celebrated culinary team on Maui. After departing Dom Pérignon in 2018, Geoffroy established his brewery in Shiraiwa, in the Toyama Prefecture of Japan. His mission has been to apply nearly three decades of champagne artistry to the creation of Japanese sake.

As Geoffroy told The World of Fine Wine in 2023, his journey is about “pursuing a note of beauty.” The result, IWA 5, seeks to embody the philosophy of “Assemblage”—a delicate blending and aging process that brings sake into a new realm of complexity, balance and harmony.

For Derrin Abac, Hotel Wailea’s director of food and beverage and part of an elite team of Advanced Sommelier, the collaboration is especially meaningful. He oversees one of Hawai‘i’s most distinguished wine programs boasting over 2,500 bottles, the largest collection in the state and continues to elevate the resort’s beverage offerings through innovation and discovery. The partnership with IWA 5 also complements the bold sake selections featured at The Birdcage, Hotel Wailea’s Japanese-inspired lounge dedicated to the art of Binchotan grilling.

“With Richard Geoffroy’s visionary approach to sake, this evening will be an unforgettable journey through taste and tradition,” Abac said. “We invite guests to experience a one-of-a-kind celebration of craftsmanship, creativity and the pursuit of beauty.”

The IWA 5 Dinner is priced at $250 per guest, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are now open online at hotelwailea.com.