6:30 - 8:30 PM (6:15 Boarding) |Maine State Pier | Portland, Maine

Must be 21 years of age or older.

LET’S GO ON A WINE SAIL!

You’re in for an unforgettable wine experience as you sail through the pristine waters of Casco Bay, with views of picturesque lighthouses, historic forts, islands, and waterways ... all while indulging in a high-quality wine with a sommelier as your guide. With comfortable seating for everyone, you can relax and fully immerse yourself in this highly-rated wine and sailing experience.

Join Sommelier Erica Archer, CWP, WSET Advanced, in beautiful Portland, Maine, for a gorgeous scenic wine sail aboard the immaculate 74’ Tall Ship Frances, expertly built by her captains and crew on Portland's waterfront. You'll explore a selection of five delicious quality wines from the diverse wine regions of California’s Central Coast that you'll love to have in your repertoire. It will be a highlight of your summer. It truly doesn’t get much better than this!

The Central Coast in California covers the long stretch of coastline from San Francisco Bay south to Santa Barbara and some of California's most famous wine regions outside Napa and Sonoma. The climate and topography vary enormously across this immense region, bringing a beautiful diversity of grapes grown and wines produced. We can’t think of a better way to showcase this than through a diverse line-up of wines poured while sailing in Casco Bay.

• Taste and learn about some delicious wines from the diverse regions of California’s Central Coast such as Edna Valley, Paso Robles, Monterrey, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz Mountains, etc.

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

• Discuss the Central Coast’s major grape varieties and styles worthy of your attention.

• Gain confidence in evaluating, selecting, and pairing wines and describing what you smell and taste.

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

• Walk away knowing a lot about wine and how regional influences impact wine styles and quality.

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

• Enjoy your delicious box of cheeses, cured meats, fruit, nuts, crackers, etc. Due to the nature of our events, we cannot accommodate food allergies, commissions, accommodations, or substitutions during these sails. You may bring your own snack if you have food allergies or hesitations of any kind.

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. Please put your Wine Sail on your calendar to arrive 20 minutes before departure so you do not 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. Please 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.