Must be 21 years of age or older.
This event is part of Portland Wine Week, June 10-16, 2024
WINE & CHEF SAILS ARE BACK!
If these are not the best thing going on in Portland in the 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. We’re so excited for Chef Paolo Laboa to join us to help us kick off our Portland Wine Week schedule!
You’ll be joining Sommelier Erica Archer of Wine Wise and Chef Paolo Laboa of Solo Italiano 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 Executive Chef Paolo Laboa, a native of Genoa, Italy.
You're in for an incredible wine 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, and gain confidence knowing how to 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.
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 Chef 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 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 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 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, 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 and down-to-earth style.
Where do we meet?
We depart from the Maine State Pier, located 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, rescheduling requests, no-shows, and weather policies:
Please see our policies on the Get Ready for Your Wine Sail page or our FAQ page.