The farm-to-table concept, where chefs buy products from local farms and create dishes that showcase them, can be applied to wine as well. Attention is paid to such factors as artisan, family-owned vineyards, heirloom vines and sustainable farming.

I recall one afternoon back in the late 1990s, sitting in the foyer of La Mer Restaurant at the Halekulani tasting a white wine with Randy Ching, then the hotel’s wine cellarmaster.

The wine had a distinct “sea spray” aroma, reminiscent of the ocean the restaurant overlooked. I loved its wonderful nuance and how elegant, seamless, impeccably balanced and light it was on the palate.

Randy told me this was to be the hotel’s “designer” chardonnay, crafted exclusively to be featured by the glass in their food and beverage outlets.

Randy had collaborated with winemaker Gary Burk of Costa de Oro Vineyards to produce “Lace,” this classy Central Coast chardonnay.

The grapes were sourced from Gary’s family’s vineyard, which featured heirloom vines planted in 1989, 1990 and 1991 on a wind-pounded mesa down in the Santa Maria Valley of California’s Santa Barbara appellation.

Since then, current wine cellarmaster, Kevin Toyama, has tweaked the wine and kept it contemporary while sustaining its innate purity and refinement. Yes, the Halekulani still pours the latest vintage of “Lace” by the glass.

In Randy’s time few considered heirloom California grapevines’ cool, marginal growing areas or un-oaky renditions. Today small, family-owned, “quality first” wineries face the same issue.

But amid trends in grapevine selection, fashionable winemaking, pretty bottles and striking labels, some things are timeless.

“Lace” is one of them.

An appropriate analogy would be that new generations still listen to and appreciate Frank Sinatra or the Beatles, despite constant changes in music.

Yes, some things are timeless.

More recently, for the 2004 vintage, Mike Webber, director of operations for Roy’s Restaurants in Hawaii, also collaborated with Gary to create a designer pinot noir for Roy’s.

The elegant, buoyant, lower-alcohol style of wine they created made real sense alongside the dynamic contemporary Asian-influenced food that earned Roy’s renown.

Given that Roy’s is always looking to support small, family-owned farms, it seemed natural that they would do so with its centerpiece red wine.

Randy and Mike’s work with a small, artisan winery that uses heirloom grapevines and farms and owns its own vineyards was not just visionary, but genius.

I should also add that other wines from Costa de Oro are worth seeking out. They offer terrific quality, elegance, balance and food-friendliness.

Final aloha: My good friend Randy Ching died Nov. 3 in Santa Maria, Calif. I will miss his true professionalism, his passion and his incredibly warm sense of humor. Aloha, Randy.

Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.