Must be 21 years of age or older.
Join Sommelier Erica Archer and Chef Paolo Laboa of Solo Italiano during Portland Wine Week You’ll be joining Sommelier Erica Archer of Wine Wise and for a gorgeous scenic wine sail on board the 74-foot sailboat, The 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 Executive Chef Paolo Laboa, a native of Genoa, Italy.
You're in for an incredible wine education and food experience as you sail through Maine’s beautiful Casco Bay with scenic views of Maine lighthouses, islands, and waterways .. all while indulging in a wine class. You'll walk away with knowing a lot about wine, how regional influences impact wine styles and quality, gain confidence knowing how evaluate, select and pair wines and describe what you smell and taste. And no doubt you will learn a lot about Italian food and local Maine produce from Paolo.
Taste and learn about Italian wines that you'll love to have in your repertoire
Find out what makes each region unique in their styles of wine they produce
Discuss the major grape varieties and these 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
Enjoy delicious and fresh prepared food from Chef Paolo Laboa
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 Chef
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 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.” Breads and pastas 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 and 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 sense of humor.
Where do we meet?
We depart from the Maine State Pier, located at at 56 Commercial Street (where Commercial Street meets Franklin Street). You’ll receive a more detailed email a few days before your event. Please refer to our FAQ page for answers to questions that you may be wondering about.
Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, cancellations affect us significantly. If we are able to re-sell your tickets we can refund your ticket price minus the $10.00 credit card transactions we have to pay OR reschedule you to a different date that has availability (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). You are always welcome to send a friend or family member in your place or sell your own tickets. Just make sure we have the ticket holder's email address so we can send them the event notifications so they are aware of where to find us and any day-of weather related notifications. There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right