A History of ‘Ulupalakua Ranch & Maui’s Winery

A History of ‘Ulupalakua Ranch & Maui’s Winery

A History of ‘Ulupalakua Ranch & Maui’s Winery

‘ULUPALAKUA, Maui, HI—The legacy of the 20,000-acre ‘Ulupalakua Ranch can be seen and felt in the fertile, volcanic soil that transformed this area into prolific farmlands supplying the islands and beyond. Four generations of families have lived and worked these bountiful sloping lands. Here the Hawaiian cowboys (paniolo) perfected their trade as serious cattlemen before their American counterparts.

‘Ulupalakua is most often translated as “breadfruit ripened on the back.” Legend has it that an ancient Hawaiian chief would send his messengers to Hana for breadfruit or ‘ulu. By the time they returned from their long journey on foot, the precious cargo would have ripened.

Tracing its first roots to the famed Hawaiian sugar industry, some 2,000 acres of ‘Ulupalakua were leased by King Kamehameha III to an American businessman, L. L. Torbert, for the purpose of growing and processing sugar cane in 1845.

In 1856, a Scottish sea captain, James Makee, came to Maui to convalesce after an accident at sea. There, he fell in love with the island and purchased the “Torbert Plantation at Honua‘ula,” which included the land, sugar mill, buildings, implements, and livestock.

The visionary captain sent for his family in Massachusetts and named his new home “Rose Ranch” after his wife Catherine’s favorite flower, Maui’s Lokelani Rose. The ranch quickly became one of Maui’s showplaces, famed for its hospitality as well as its agricultural productivity – attributes which are very much in evidence to this day.

In 1874, King Kalakaua and his Queen Kapi‘olani visited and became enthralled with Rose Ranch. The King became so frequent a visitor that a cottage was built for him on the property, now known formally as the King’s Cottage. Dubbed for good reason as Hawai‘i’s “Merrie Monarch,” the King hosted ebullient poker games and lavish parties flowing with champagne.