2026 Chef Series Wine & Food Sails with Chaval
This is the kind of experience to build your summer vacation around.
On 11 select dates, Sommelier Erica Archer welcomes Chef Damian Sansonetti of Chaval for a series of Wine & Food Sails on the coast of Portland, Maine. Each date features a different five-course seasonal menu inspired by a wine region and crafted with the freshest ingredients from local farmers, fishermen, and purveyors. Every course is thoughtfully paired with a beautiful wine … all enjoyed while sailing through pristine Casco Bay aboard the immaculate 74-foot tall ship Frances, gliding past Maine’s iconic lighthouses, historic forts, and the picturesque Calendar Islands.
Whether you're looking for an exceptional day out, a unique gift, or a special way to entertain friends and family, Chef Series Wine & Food Sails offer a luxurious yet laid-back way to savor great food and wine—all while taking in the beauty of the Maine coast.
They sell out fast! Secure your spot now for an experience that will be the highlight of your summer.
SCHEDULE:
JUNE
JULY
August
SEPTEMBER
October Fall Foliage
Chef Damian Sansonetti, a Pittsburgh native, grew up exploring fresh, local ingredients, making pasta with his grandmothers, curing meats with his grandfather, and assisting his father in the family kitchen. A career in food was practically his birthright. After graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne. Training rigorously under Chef Olivier Muller, Sansonetti became chef de banquet at Daniel and then sous chef under Jean Francois Bruel. Promoted to executive chef of Bar Boulud in 2008, Sansonetti was named a 2009 StarChefs.com Rising Star and, in 2022, a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Northeast. Now ensconced in the burgeoning food scene of Portland, Maine, Sansonetti partnered with his wife, Pastry Chef Ilma Lopez (a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef and nominated in 2018 for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef), to open their Italian fine dining restaurant Piccolo and, in 2017, Chaval.
