4:45 - 6:45 (4:30 Boarding) | Maine State Pier | Portland, Maine

Must be 21 years of age or older.

WINE & CHEF SAILS ARE BACK!

If these are not the best things going on in Portland this Summer, we don’t know what is. Sommelier Erica Archer has invited some of her favorite chefs in Portland to join her on a select few of our season-long wine sails to pair five delicious courses with five delicious wines.

You’ll be joining Sommelier Erica Archer of Wine Wise and Chef Paolo Laboa of Solo Italiano and Chef Simone Laboa of Solo Pane for a gorgeous scenic wine sail on board the 74-foot sailboat, Frances, built by her Captains and crew on Portland's waterfront. You’ll sail and sip five incredibly delicious Italian wines that you'll love to have in your repertoire ... each paired with tastes of Italy prepared for you by these two native chefs of Genoa, Italy. 

With comfortable seating for everyone, you can relax and fully immerse yourself in this highly-rated wine, food, and sailing experience.

We recommend getting your tickets soon if you’d like to join us. These events sell out quickly!

The menu will be available close to the date of the event as the chef takes inspiration from only the freshest local ingredients. Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

• Taste and learn about Italian wines that you'll love to have in your repertoire, each paired with incredible food from Chefs Laboa, five wines, and food pairings in all.

• Find out what makes each region unique in the styles of wine they produce

• Learn about the fresh Maine produce and authentic Italian ingredients the chef uses in each dish

• Discuss the major Italian grape varieties and regions—classic and up-and-coming contenders worthy of your attention

• Learn what to expect from certain terms on a wine label when selecting your next bottle of wine

• Learn the basics of tasting or take your wine knowledge to the next level

The menu will be available close to the date of the event as chef takes his inspiration from only the freshest local ingredients. Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Your Chefs
Paolo Laboa’s journey started in his mother's kitchen, where he learned the secrets of real Genovese cooking, the pinnacle of Northern Italian cuisine. Every ingredient Chef Paolo touches is fresh from the farm and sea to his kitchen to your table. Some of his favorite farms are Stonecipher Farm, Dandelion Springs Farm, Valley Farm, Olivia’s Garden for greens, vegetables, basil, and herbs, and Northspore for foraged mushrooms. Fresh fish is brought in each day through Upstream, Harbor Fish Market, or Browne Trading Co. Also sourcing other proteins like wild rabbit from Sumner Valley Farm and lamb and pork from Two Cove Farm, while dairy comes from a variety of these local farmers. “Cooking is what I love and I want each ingredient to sing. Simplicity is my goal. If there are five ingredients, I want you to taste all five of them.” Bread and pasta are all made in-house from scratch using traditional Genovese recipes. “It is very important–the food that you eat,” says Laboa.

Your Sommelier
Archer is a true oenophile, having obtained high levels of certification in her field. In 2010, she was awarded the Wine Spirit and Education Trust Level Three Advanced Certification in Wines and Spirits (with merit), became a Sommelier in the American Court of Master Sommeliers, and received her Certified Wine Professional award from the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California. Erica is the principal of Wine Wise, a wine education and events service. She is skilled at creating truly creative and memorable wine experiences that take guests beyond a typical tasting with her intimate understanding of what makes each wine unique. And she’ll do it with her trademark down-to-earth style.

Where do we meet?
We are sailing on The Frances at Maine Sailing Adventures on the Maine State Pier, 56 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101 (where Commercial Street meets Franklin Street).

Cancellations, rescheduling requests, no-shows, and weather policies:
Please see our policies on the Get Ready for Your Wine Sail or FAQ page.

What else?

1. Add your Wine Sail to your calendar to arrive 20 minutes before departure, so you don't miss the boarding call. Please heed our advice and allow plenty of time to drive into Portland and find parking. It is no fun missing the boat because of late arrivals.

2. Review our Get Ready for Your Wine Sail page and forward it to everyone attending with you so that everyone is adequately prepared and on time—or early!! We cannot hold the boat for any late arrivals. 

3. We receive many of the same questions. We have taken the time to write thorough answers to frequently asked questions on our FAQ page. Please look there for immediate answers to many questions.