Must be 21 years of age or older.
LET’S GO ON A WINE SAIL!
You're in for an incredible wine education experience as you sail through beautiful Casco Bay, with scenic views of Maine lighthouses, islands, and waterways … all while indulging in a wine class. You'll walk away knowing a lot about wine, how regional influences impact wine styles and quality, gain confidence knowing how to evaluate, select and pair wines, and describe what you smell and taste.
Join Sommelier Erica Archer, CWP, WSET Advanced, in beautiful Portland, Maine, for a gorgeous scenic wine sail on board the 74-foot sailboat, Frances, built by her Captains and crew on Portland's waterfront, with new seats added for everyone to be seated comfortably. You'll explore a selection of five delicious quality reds from Italy.
Taste and learn about a series of five delicious red wines from Italy—including some incredible gems from the stellar vintages and emerging and classic varieties and regions that you’ll love to have in your repertoire.
Learn a few things to expect from wines made in these Italian regions and grape varieties.
Discuss the major grape varieties and styles worthy of your attention.
Learn what to expect from certain terms on a wine label when selecting wine.
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.
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 sense of humor and down-to-earth style.
Where do we meet?
Here is the location on Google Maps. We are sailing on the beautiful Frances at Maine Sailing Adventures, located on the Maine State Pier at 56 Commercial Street (where Commercial Street meets Franklin Street). The signage from the road is not so great. Casco Bay Lines is right there as well. You'll walk down the paved road to the pier with the Whale Wall on your left and the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal on your right. Keep walking onto the Maine State Pier (past gate 5 of the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal). On the pier, to the right, you will see two sheds for two sailing companies. Please wait by the Maine Sailing Adventures/Frances shed.
What else?
Please put your Wine Sail in your calendar to arrive before the boarding time. 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.
Please review our Get Ready for Your Wine Sail page.
Please forward our Get Ready for Your Wine Sail page to everyone attending with you so that everyone is adequately prepared and on time... or early!!
We receive many of the same questions very frequently. 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.
CANCELLATIONS/RESCHEDULES/NO SHOWS
Because of our size, cancellations affect us significantly. It’s not always possible that we can see your correspondence on the days we have events as we have our attention entirely on our events that day. If you are able to reach us, and we can re-sell your tickets, we can refund your ticket price minus the $20.00 per ticket credit card transactions we have to pay OR reschedule you to a different date with 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 cannot resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?