Filtering by: Wine Dinner

Virtual Wine Dinner with Chef Sansonetti of Chaval: Maine x Mediterranean Land & Sea
Jan
27
6:00 PM18:00

Virtual Wine Dinner with Chef Sansonetti of Chaval: Maine x Mediterranean Land & Sea

Join Sommelier Erica Archer and James Beard, Finalist, Best Chef Northeast, Chef Damian Sansonetti, Co-Owner of Chaval, for a delicious Virtual Wine Dinner centered on the cuisine and wines of The Mediterranean. All enjoyed from the comforts of home and the help of technology. And we’re delivering it all to your door on the afternoon of the event. 1-3 hours before our event, you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing your wine and food with easy instructions to reheat for our 6 pm start.

This is part of a series of Virtual Wine Dinners with Sansonetti and Archer since 2020, and perhaps we will have a guest appearance from Chef Ilma Lopez). Tonight Chef Sansonetti is bringing The Mediterranean to Maine using the produce of local Maine farmers, fishermen, harvesters, and purveyors, and we’ll pair it with beautiful wines from regions around The Mediterranean. We can’t wait to enjoy this incredible meal with you.

Menu:

First course
Maine bean hummus
Maine grains rye pitas
Olive oil & dulse 

Second course
Bouillabaisse
Maine monkfish
Clams & mussels
Braised fennel & potato
Olive oil garlic smoked tomato broth

Third course
Pork tagine
Pistachios
Charred onions
Apricots and drunken dates
Toasted cous cous

Dessert
by Chef Ilma Lopez TBA

Featured Wines:

  • 2022 Domaine Suffrine, Bandol Rosé, France

  • 2018 Parparoussis, “Taos”, Achaia, Greece

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

We are excited to have you join us as we gather online from the comforts of home to discuss the featured wines and food pairings, create community, and support small businesses and local purveyors.

Price is all-inclusive of your wine-dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 deliveries in the Greater Portland area, which includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:00 pm on the event day. You’ll need to be over 21 years of age with a valid ID to accept delivery.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contactless curbside pick-up at Chaval at 3:00. Please make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do curbside at Chaval at 3:00 sharp (we need to leave on time to make out delivery rounds and get back to our post in time).

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Chef Damian Sansonetti, a Pittsburgh native, grew up exploring fresh, local ingredients, making pasta with his grandmothers, curing meats with his grandfather, and assisting his father in the family kitchen. A career in food was practically his birthright. After graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne. Training rigorously under Chef Olivier Muller, Sansonetti became chef de banquet at Daniel and then sous chef under Jean Francois Bruel. Promoted to executive chef of Bar Boulud in 2008, Sansonetti was named a 2009 StarChefs.com Rising Star and, in 2022, a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Northeast. Now ensconced in the burgeoning food scene of Portland, Maine, Sansonetti’s partnered with his wife, Pastry Chef Ilma Lopez (a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef and nominated in 2018 for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef), to open their Italian fine dining restaurant Piccolo and in 2017 Chaval.

Chef Ilma Lopez has worked in some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. When she left New York City to the quieter reaches of Maine, Lopez found a new terrain she couldn’t resist. Arriving with a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award, has been a twice semi-finalist James Beard “Best Pastry Chef” (national), and you may have seen her name in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine highlighting her incredible talents when naming Portland, Maine as their pick for ‘Restaurant City of The Year’. Their new restaurant, The Ugly Duckling, will open in early 2023.

Sommelier Erica Archer is a Maine native and 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 down-to-earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and a wine glass per person. You’ll also need a corkscrew, an ice bucket if you want to keep your wine chilled, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event, as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $20.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no-shows or if we cannot resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

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Virtual Wine Dinner with Chef Sansonetti of Chaval: Spain in Maine
Jan
28
6:00 PM18:00

Virtual Wine Dinner with Chef Sansonetti of Chaval: Spain in Maine

Join Sommelier Erica Archer and James Beard, Finalist, Best Chef Northeast, Chef Damian Sansonetti, Co-Owner of Chaval, for a delicious Virtual Wine Dinner centered on the cuisine and wines of Spain. All enjoyed from the comforts of home and the help of technology. And we’re delivering it all to your door on the afternoon of the event. 1-3 hours before our event, you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing your wine and food with easy instructions to reheat for our 6 pm start.

This is part of a series of Virtual Wine Dinners with Sansonetti and Archer since 2020, and perhaps we will have a guest appearance from Chef Ilma Lopez). Tonight Chef Sansonetti is bringing Spain to Maine using the produce of local Maine farmers, harvesters, and purveyors, and we’ll pair it with beautiful Spanish wines. We can’t wait to enjoy this incredible meal with you.

Featured Wines:

  • A glass of fine Vermouth

  • 2020 Bodegas Arzabo, Harria, Txakoli, Spain

  • 2019 Aalto, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Menu:

  • Fish and vegetable tapas

  • Rioja braised Local Beef Cheeks, Galicia Style Potatoes, Charred Kale, Whipped Cabrales

  • Chef Ilma López's Crema Catalana

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

We are excited to have you join us as we gather online from the comforts of home to discuss the featured wines and food pairings, create community and support small businesses and local purveyors.

Price is all-inclusive of your wine-dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 deliveries in the Greater Portland area, which includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:00 pm on the event day. You’ll need to be over 21 years of age with a valid ID to accept delivery.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contactless curbside pick-up at Chaval at 3:00. Please make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do curbside at Chaval at 3:00 sharp (we need to leave on time to make out delivery rounds and get back to our post in time).

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Chef Damian Sansonetti, a Pittsburgh native, grew up exploring fresh, local ingredients, making pasta with his grandmothers, curing meats with his grandfather, and assisting his father in the family kitchen. A career in food was practically his birthright. After graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne. Training rigorously under Chef Olivier Muller, Sansonetti became chef de banquet at Daniel and then sous chef under Jean Francois Bruel. Promoted to executive chef of Bar Boulud in 2008, Sansonetti was named a 2009 StarChefs.com Rising Star and, in 2022, a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Northeast. Now ensconced in the burgeoning food scene of Portland, Maine, Sansonetti’s partnered with his wife, Pastry Chef Ilma Lopez (a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef and nominated in 2018 for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef), to open their Italian fine dining restaurant Piccolo and in 2017 Chaval.

Chef Ilma Lopez has worked in some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. When she left New York City to the quieter reaches of Maine, Lopez found a new terrain she couldn’t resist. Arriving with a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award, has been a twice semi-finalist James Beard “Best Pastry Chef” (national), and you may have seen her name in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine highlighting her incredible talents when naming Portland, Maine as their pick for ‘Restaurant City of The Year’. Their new restaurant, The Ugly Duckling, will open in early 2023.

Sommelier Erica Archer is a Maine native and 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 down-to-earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and a wine glass per person. You’ll also need a corkscrew, an ice bucket if you want to keep your wine chilled, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event, as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $20.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no-shows or if we cannot resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

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New Year's Eve Virtual Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright (delivery included*)
Dec
31
7:00 PM19:00

New Year's Eve Virtual Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright (delivery included*)

Must be 21 years of age or older.

7:00 PM

The holidays are a special time for tradition, sharing one’s time, and enjoying food and drink with loved ones. For the past two years, we’ve rung in the new year with great wine, food, and people by way of our New Year’s Eve Virtual Wine Dinner. We are looking forward to doing it again to ring in 2023. We started these virtual wine dinners out of necessity during the initial start of COVID, but they have become one of our most treasured experiences, and we aim to keep them going in the winter months as long as people choose to attend. These virtual wine dinners are so special. They are such high-quality wine, food, and people that partake. They are all-inclusive in every sense of the word. Everyone is welcome, and everything is included.

Join Sommelier Erica Archer, Chef Jef Wright, and other wonderful community members online for an incredible New Year’s Eve Virtual Wine Dinner complete with exceptional food, wine, and party favors as we celebrate community, and connectedness, all from the comforts of your home. That’s right, no cold weather, long lines, and no driving home. We’re delivering it all to your door. 1-2 hours before our event, you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing your wine and food with easy instructions to reheat for our 7 pm online start.

We’d be honored to share this incredible and festive holiday meal with you.

Featured Wines: TBA

New Year’s Eve Dinner Menu:

Oysters Rockefeller

Maine Lobster Tartine
Toasted brioche, preserved lemon aioli, butter-poached lobster, celery

Endive & Radicchio Salad
Bleu cheese, pomegranate, buttermilk dressing

Roasted Duck Breast
Brown butter carrot purée, Maine potato gnocchi, duck confit, red wine gastrique

Chocolate Pots de Crème
Crunchy honeycomb, smoked salt

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Food and wine photos displayed on this page are from last year’s NYE Virtual Wine Dinner.

Add Sommelier Erica Archer's curated wine delivery service.

We are excited to have you join us as we gather online from the comforts of home for this incredible meal during the holidays … to discuss the featured wines and food pairings, create community and support small businesses and local purveyors, and enjoy the holiday together.

Price is all-inclusive of your wine-dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited.

Our delivery reach includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook. Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contactless curbside pick-up at 3:00 pm. Just make sure to note in the comments section (as opposed to following up separately) at checkout that you’ll do 3:00 pm. You can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Your Chef
Jef Wright is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy; he has worked in a wide array of cuisines and restaurants, both large and intimate. For many years he worked in Atlanta with Richard Blais, a former Top Chef winner, and focused on molecular gastronomy to reimagine and refine traditional southern dishes. His passion for continued learning has taken him to Philadelphia and New York, where he worked in a 2 Michelin star restaurant and a large and well-known upscale restaurant group. His style is best described as heavily influenced by traditional French and Spanish cuisine with a love for upscale Southern, always focusing on refined techniques. He was the opening sous chef at The Garrison in Yarmouth, where he helped the restaurant attain a 4-½ star review from the Press Herald. Jef is stepped back into the role of Executive Chef, leading the kitchen at Sur Lie and now at the Crown Jewel on Great Diamond Island.

Your Sommelier
Erica 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 down-to-earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and two wine glasses per person, so each of you has one glass for each of the two wines to enjoy through the first three savory courses. You’ll also need a corkscrew, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event, as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:30 pm the day of this event. Please include your greater Portland delivery address in the comments section at checkout if it differs from your billing address. Or let us know that you’ll meet us for curbside pick-up.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $30.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no-shows or if we cannot resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?


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 Virtual Wine Dinner for Two: Spain in Maine with Chef Damian Sansonetti of Chaval
Mar
18
7:00 PM19:00

Virtual Wine Dinner for Two: Spain in Maine with Chef Damian Sansonetti of Chaval

Join Sommelier, Erica Archer, and Chef/Co-Owner Damian Sansonetti of Chaval for a Virtual Wine Dinner from the comforts of home and technology. And we’re delivering it all to your door on the afternoon of the event. 1-3 hours before our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing your wine and food with easy instructions to reheat for our 7 pm start.

This is part of a series of Friday night Virtual Wine Dinners with Sansonetti and Archer (and perhaps we will have a guest appearance or treat from Chef Ilma Lopez from time to time). Each week we’ll touch on a different region of the world or grape variety in two different expressions through wine and cuisine using the produce of local Maine farmers. harvesters, and purveyors. Tonight Chef Sansonetti is bringing Spain to Maine and we’ll pair to beautiful Spanish wines. We can’t wait to enjoy this incredible meal with you.

Featured Wines

  • 2019 Raul Perez, Atelier, A Crus das Animas, Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain

  • 2008 R. Lopez De Heredia, Viña Bosconia, Reserva, Rioja, Spain

Spanish Tapas Menu

  • Bangs Island Mussels Escabeche

  • Sautéed Mushrooms, Sourdough Toast w/ Egg Yolk Dressing

  • Maine Bluefin Tuna Conserva “Pâté”, Golden Potatoes

  • Breezy Hill Farm Pork Duo, Roasted Peppers, Charred Tomatoes & Braised Beans

  • Crema Catalan

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

We are excited to have you join us as we gather online from the comforts of home to discuss the featured wines and food pairings, create community and support small businesses and local purveyors.

Price is all-inclusive of your wine-dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 12 deliveries in the Greater Portland area which includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at Chaval at 3:30. Please make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do curbside at Chaval at 3:30.

For delivery and curbside you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Chef Damian Sansonetti, a Pittsburgh native, grew up exploring fresh, local ingredients, making pasta with his grandmothers, curing meats with his grandfather, and assisting his father in the family kitchen. A career in food was practically his birthright. Graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne.

Training rigorously under Chef Olivier Muller, Sansonetti became chef de banquet at Daniel and then sous chef under Jean Francois Bruel. Promoted to executive chef of Bar Boulud in 2008, Sansonetti was named a 2009 StarChefs.com Rising Star. Now ensconced in the burgeoning food scene of Portland, Maine, Sansonetti’s partnered with his wife, Pastry Chef Ilma Lopez (a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef and nominated in 2018 for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef), to open their Italian fine dining restaurant Piccolo and in 2017 Chaval.

Chef Ilma Lopez has worked in some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. When she left New York City to the quieter reaches of Maine, Lopez found a new terrain she couldn’t resist. Arriving with a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award, has been a twice a semi-finalist James Beard “Best Pastry Chef” (national), and you may have seen her name in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine highlighting her incredible talents when naming Portland, Maine as their pick for ‘Restaurant City of The Year’.

Sommelier Erica Archer is a Maine native and 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 down-to-earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 7 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and a wine glass per person. You’ll also need a corkscrew, an ice bucket is you’d like to keep your wine chilled, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 4:30-6:00 pm on the day of the event. They’ll be a form for you to fill out at check-out with specific delivery instructions and the best number to text you at. We’ll text you when we’re on our way and again when delivery has been completed. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams. Delivery is limited to the Greater Portland area. If you live outside of the Greater Portland area and would like to pick-up your own box curbside at Chaval in Portland, we can arrange that.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $20.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

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Valentine's Day Périgord Black Winter Truffle Virtual Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Damian Sansonetti of Chaval (delivery included)
Feb
14
6:00 PM18:00

Valentine's Day Périgord Black Winter Truffle Virtual Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Damian Sansonetti of Chaval (delivery included)

Join Sommelier, Erica Archer, and Chef/Co-Owner Damian Sansonetti of Chaval our 2nd Annual Valentine's Day Périgord Black Winter Truffle Virtual Wine Dinner for Two. And we’re delivering* it all to your door. 1-2 hours before our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing your wine, food, truffle, and easy instructions to be ready for our 6 pm start.

The Périgord black truffle is native to Southern Europe. It is one of the most expensive edible mushrooms in the world. Each dinner-for-two will include your very own Périgord black truffle to shave over course after course of this romantic and decadent meal. We’re even including a micro-plane for you. What’s not to love about that?

We are excited to have you join us as we gather online from the comforts of home for this incredible meal … to discuss the featured wines and food pairings, create community and support small businesses and local purveyors, and enjoy this very special meal together. We can’t wait to see you—fine wines in hand of course!

One recommendation: our holiday dinners do to tend to book up quickly. We do recommend getting your tickets soon if you’d like to join us.

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Price is all-inclusive of this incredible dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 deliveries of wine-dinner-for-two in the Greater Portland area. Our delivery area includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for curbside pick-up at 3:00 pm at Chaval. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do 3:00 curbside at Chaval.

You can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Add Sommelier Erica Archer's curated wine delivery service.

Chef Damian Sansonetti, a Pittsburgh native, grew up exploring fresh, local ingredients, making pasta with his grandmothers, curing meats with his grandfather, and assisting his father in the family kitchen. A career in food was practically his birthright. Graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne.

Training rigorously under Chef Olivier Muller, Sansonetti became chef de banquet at Daniel and then sous chef under Jean Francois Bruel. Promoted to executive chef of Bar Boulud in 2008, Sansonetti was named a 2009 StarChefs.com Rising Star. Now ensconced in the burgeoning food scene of Portland, Maine, Sansonetti’s partnered with his wife, Pastry Chef Ilma Lopez (a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef and nominated in 2018 for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef), to open their Italian fine dining restaurant Piccolo and in 2017 Chaval.

Chef Ilma Lopez has worked in some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. When she left New York City to the quieter reaches of Maine, Lopez found a new terrain she couldn’t resist. Arriving with a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award, has been a twice a semi-finalist James Beard “Best Pastry Chef” (national), and you may have seen her name in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine highlighting her incredible talents when naming Portland, Maine as their pick for ‘Restaurant City of The Year’.

Sommelier Erica Archer is a Maine native and 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 down to earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and a wine glass per person. You’ll also need a corkscrew, an ice bucket is you’d like to keep your wine chilled, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:00 pm on the day of the event. They’ll be a form for you to fill out at check-out with specific delivery instructions and the best number to text you at. We’ll text you when we’re on our way and again when delivery has been completed. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams. Delivery is limited to the Greater Portland area. If you live outside of the Greater Portland area and would like to pick-up your own box curbside at Chaval in Portland, we can arrange that.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $20.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

View Event →
Virtual Maine Seafood Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright
Jan
22
6:00 PM18:00

Virtual Maine Seafood Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright

Winter is seafood season in Maine and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the season than by enjoying the freshest produce from the sea and delicious wine pairings—all while creating community and supporting small businesses and local purveyors

Join with Sommelier, Erica Archer + Chef Jef Wright, for an incredible Maine Seafood virtual wine dinner for two delivered to your door. That’s right, 1-2 hours before logging on to our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing the two featured wines and food courses each in its container with easy instructions to either place in your refrigerator, freezer, or set to be ready for our first course starting at 6 PM.

We are excited to have you join us for this incredible virtual wine dinner as we gather online from the comforts of home—with two wine glasses in hand—and delicious seafood dishes expertly prepared by Chef Wright.

Featured Wines

  • 2018 Pascal Jolivet, Pouilly-Fumé, Loire, France

  • 2017 Domaine de la Pinte, Arbois, Chardonnay, Jura, France

Menu

  • Maine Crab Dip

  • Lobster stuffed arancini, tarragon, and lemon aioli

  • Bouillabaisse, smoked mussels, local pollock, monkfish, grilled sourdough, saffron

  • Seared scallops, potato rosti, chive crème fraiche

  • Lemon tart, blueberry preserves, whipped cream

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Food and wine photos displayed on this page are from previous Virtual Wine Dinners.

Pro tip: add on Sommelier Erica Archer's curated wines for delivery on this day as well.

Price is all-inclusive of this incredible dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 deliveries of wine-dinner-for-two in the Greater Portland area. Our delivery area includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at 3:00 pm at Sur Lie. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do 3:00 curbside at Sur Lie.

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Your Chef
Jef Wright is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy, he has worked in a wide array of cuisines and restaurants both large and intimate. For many years he worked in Atlanta GA, with Richard Blais, former Top Chef winner, and focused on molecular gastronomy as a means to reimagine and refine traditional southern dishes. His passion for continued learning has taken him to Philadelphia and New York where he worked in both a 2 Michelin star restaurant and for a large and well-known upscale restaurant group. His style is best described as heavily influenced by traditional French and Spanish cuisine with a love for upscale Southern always focusing on refined techniques. He was the opening sous chef at The Garrison in Yarmouth, where he helped the restaurant attain a 4-½ star review from the Press Herald. Jef is stepped back into the role of Executive Chef, leading the kitchen at Sur Lie for 18 months beginning, December 2019. He has since joined the Wine Wise team and looks forward to sharing his excitement and passion for delicious, sophisticated cuisine, delivered to your door with our beautifully paired wines.

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 down to earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and two wine glasses per person so each of you has one glass each of the two wines to enjoy through the first three savory courses. You’ll also need a corkscrew, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:30 pm the day of this event. Please include your greater Portland delivery address in the comments section at checkout if they are different from your billing address. Or let us know that you’ll meet us at Sur Lie at 3:00 for curbside pick-up. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $40.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

View Event →
New Year's Eve Virtual Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright (delivery included*)
Dec
31
7:00 PM19:00

New Year's Eve Virtual Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright (delivery included*)

The holidays are a special time for tradition, sharing one’s time and enjoying food and drink with loved ones. Last year’s NYE Virtual Wine Dinner was incredible. We are looking forward to doing it again. We started these virtual wine dinners out of necessity during the initial start of COVID, but they have become one of our most treasured experiences and we aim to keep them going in the winter months as long as people choose to attend. These virtual wine dinners are so special. They are such high-quality wine, food, and people that partake. They are all-inclusive in every sense of the word. Everyone is welcome and everything is included.

Join Sommelier Erica Archer, Chef Jef Wright, and other wonderful members of our community online for an incredible New Year’s Eve Virtual Wine Dinner complete with exceptional food, wine, and party favors as we celebrate community, connectedness, all from the comforts of your home. That’s right, now cold weather, long lines, and no driving home. We’re delivering it all to your door. 1-2 hours before our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing your wine and food with easy instructions to reheat for our 7 pm online start. Last year’s NYE Virtual Wine Dinners was incredible. We are looking forward to doing it again.

We’d be honored to share this incredible holiday meal with you.

Featured Wines:

  • Ayala, Brut Majeur, Champagne, France

  • 2018 Ghost Block, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

New Year’s Eve Dinner Menu:

First course …

  • Oysters Rockefeller

Second course …

  • Maine Lobster Tartine with toasted brioche, tarragon aioli, butter-poached lobster, potato crisps

Third course …

  • Roasted local mushrooms, duck confit, roasted parsnips, goat cheese fonduta

Fourth course …

  • Filet Mignon with blue cheese butter and bearnaise aioli, Potato pavé with creme fraiche, and charred broccolini with miso bagna cauda and parmigiana

Dessert …

  • Chocolate Pot de Creme with Black Sea salt, Crunchy Meringue, Whipped Maple

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Add Sommelier Erica Archer's curated wine delivery service.

Price is all-inclusive of this incredible dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 deliveries of wine-dinner-for-two in the Greater Portland area. Our delivery area includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at 3:00 pm at Sur Lie. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do 3:00 curbside at Sur Lie.

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Your Chef
Jef Wright is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy, he has worked in a wide array of cuisines and restaurants both large and intimate. For many years he worked in Atlanta GA, with Richard Blais, former Top Chef winner, and focused on molecular gastronomy as a means to reimagine and refine traditional southern dishes. His passion for continued learning has taken him to Philadelphia and New York where he worked in both a 2 Michelin star restaurant and for a large and well-known upscale restaurant group. His style is best described as heavily influenced by traditional French and Spanish cuisine with a love for upscale Southern always focusing on refined techniques. He was the opening sous chef at The Garrison in Yarmouth, where he helped the restaurant attain a 4-½ star review from the Press Herald. Jef is stepped back into the role of Executive Chef, leading the kitchen at Sur Lie for 18 months beginning, December 2019. He has since joined the Wine Wise team and looks forward to sharing his excitement and passion for delicious, sophisticated cuisine, delivered to your door with our beautifully paired wines.

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 down to earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and two wine glasses per person so each of you has one glass each, of the two wines to enjoy through the first three savory courses. You’ll also need a corkscrew, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:30 pm the day of this event. Please include your greater Portland delivery address in the comments section at checkout if they are different from your billing address. Or let us know that you’ll meet us at Sur Lie at 3:00 for curbside pick-up. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams.

View Event →
Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes Virtual Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Sansonetti (delivery included*)
Dec
24
7:00 PM19:00

Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes Virtual Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Sansonetti (delivery included*)

Our Virtual Wine Dinners were born in 2020 out of necessity for the times. We can honestly say that they are the greatest thing we have ever been a part of. Coming together with incredible chefs, customers, food, and wine, and enriching each other’s lives while supporting a plethora of small businesses is pretty great to be a part of. We could not imagine this holiday season without them. These expereinces are all-inclusive in every sense of the word. Everyone is welcome and everything is included. We’d be honored to share this incredible holiday meal with you.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American celebration of Christmas Eve with dishes of fish and other seafood. The tradition comes from Southern Italy, where it is known simply as The Vigil. It was introduced in the United States by Southern Italian immigrants in New York City's Little Italy in the late 1800s. Italian-Americans are usually the only ones who keep this tradition going today. Today, the meal typically consists of seven different seafood dishes enjoyed on Christmas Eve. And that’s exactly how many dishes Chef Damian “Italian-American” Sansonetti is making for this feast.

Join Sommelier Erica Archer and Chef/Co-Owner Damian Sansonetti of Chaval this Christmas Eve for an incredible Feast of the Seven Fishes Virtual Wine Dinner. We’re delivering it all to your door. 1-2 hours before our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing your wine and food with easy instructions to reheat for our 7 pm start.

Featured Wines:
2019 Monastero Suore Cistercensi, Coenobium Bianco, Lazio, Italy
2020 Collecapretta, Rosso da Tavola, Umbria IGT, Italy

Featured Wines:
2019 Monastero Suore Cistercensi, Coenobium Bianco, Lazio, Italy
2020 Collecapretta, Rosso da Tavola, Umbria, Italy

Feast of the Seven Fishes Menu:

Ostriche
Brolied Maine Oysters, Parmesan, and Herbs

"Deviled" Baccala
House salt cod, yukon potatoes, paprika

Granchio
Maine crab dip, artichokes, onion, and olive oil with Hippie chips "oreganatto"

Scungilli
Sea Snail Salad, chickpeas, lemon, olive oil

Anguilla
Maine Eel, 63 celcius egg, Salas Verde

Pesce
Baked Atlantic swordfish, mustard greens, tomato, olive

Tonno
Maine Bluefin Tuna "Bolognese", calabrian chili, root vegetables
Squid ink Malfadine "princessa", brown butter crumbs

Dolce
Chocolat, Caviar

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Food and wine photos displayed on this page are from previous Virtual Wine Dinners.

Add Sommelier Erica Archer's curated wine delivery service.

We are excited to have you join us as we gather online from the comforts of home for this incredible meal during the holidays … to discuss the featured wines and food pairings, create community and support small businesses and local purveyors, and enjoy the holiday together.

Price is all-inclusive of your wine-dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 12 dinners-for-two. Our delivery area includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth. You can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? Meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at 4:00 pm at Chaval. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do 4:00 curbside at Chaval. We’ll need to leave on time to start our deliveries in time, so please be prompt.

Chef Damian Sansonetti, a Pittsburgh native, grew up exploring fresh, local ingredients, making pasta with his grandmothers, curing meats with his grandfather, and assisting his father in the family kitchen. A career in food was practically his birthright. Graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne.

Training rigorously under Chef Olivier Muller, Sansonetti became chef de banquet at Daniel and then sous chef under Jean Francois Bruel. Promoted to executive chef of Bar Boulud in 2008, Sansonetti was named a 2009 StarChefs.com Rising Star. Now ensconced in the burgeoning food scene of Portland, Maine, Sansonetti’s partnered with his wife, Pastry Chef Ilma Lopez (a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef and nominated in 2018 for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef), to open their Italian fine dining restaurant Piccolo and in 2017 Chaval.

Chef Ilma Lopez has worked in some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. When she left New York City to the quieter reaches of Maine, Lopez found a new terrain she couldn’t resist. Arriving with a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award, has been a twice a semi-finalist James Beard “Best Pastry Chef” (national), and you may have seen her name in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine highlighting her incredible talents when naming Portland, Maine as their pick for ‘Restaurant City of The Year’.

Sommelier Erica Archer is a Maine native and 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 down-to-earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 7 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and a wine glass per person. You’ll also need a corkscrew, an ice bucket if you’d like to keep your wine chilled, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 4:00-6:00 pm on the day of the event. You’ll need to be home to receive this delivery.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $40.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no-shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

View Event →
Virtual South of France Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright (delivery included*)
Dec
18
6:00 PM18:00

Virtual South of France Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright (delivery included*)

Join with Sommelier, Erica Archer + Chef Jef Wright, for an incredible virtual wine dinner-for-two delivered to your door—centered around two beautiful wines based on the grape variety of Grenache and delicious food to pairings. That’s right, 1-2 hours before logging on to our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing the two featured wines and food courses each in its container with easy instructions to either place in your refrigerator, freezer, or set to be ready for our first course starting at 6 PM.

We are excited to have you join us for this incredible virtual wine dinner as we gather online from the comforts of home—with two wine glasses in hand—to discuss the two featured wines from the Souther of France and delicious dishes from Chef Wright… all while creating community and supporting small businesses and local purveyors.

Featured Wines

  • 2020 Domaine de L'Olivette, Rosé, Bandol, France

  • 2018 Domaine Santa Duc, Aux Lieux-Dits, Gigondas, France

Menu

Caramelized onion tart, thyme, dijon, beaufort cheese

Roasted and pickled radish salad, roasted garlic creme fraiche, crispy speck

Cassoulet - white beans, duck confit, sausage, braised bacon, brown butter breadcrumbs

Blueberry clafoutis, whipped cream

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Food and wine photos displayed on this page are from previous Virtual Wine Dinners.

Add Sommelier Erica Archer's curated wine delivery service.

Price is all-inclusive of this incredible dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 deliveries of wine-dinner-for-two in the Greater Portland area. Our delivery area includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at 3:00 pm at Sur Lie. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do 3:00 curbside at Sur Lie.

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Your Chef
Jef Wright is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy, he has worked in a wide array of cuisines and restaurants both large and intimate. For many years he worked in Atlanta GA, with Richard Blais, former Top Chef winner, and focused on molecular gastronomy as a means to reimagine and refine traditional southern dishes. His passion for continued learning has taken him to Philadelphia and New York where he worked in both a 2 Michelin star restaurant and for a large and well-known upscale restaurant group. His style is best described as heavily influenced by traditional French and Spanish cuisine with a love for upscale Southern always focusing on refined techniques. He was the opening sous chef at The Garrison in Yarmouth, where he helped the restaurant attain a 4-½ star review from the Press Herald. Jef is stepped back into the role of Executive Chef, leading the kitchen at Sur Lie for 18 months beginning, December 2019. He has since joined the Wine Wise team and looks forward to sharing his excitement and passion for delicious, sophisticated cuisine, delivered to your door with our beautifully paired wines.

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 down to earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and two wine glasses per person so each of you has one glass each of the two wines to enjoy through the first three savory courses. You’ll also need a corkscrew, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:30 pm the day of this event. Please include your greater Portland delivery address in the comments section at checkout if they are different from your billing address. Or let us know that you’ll meet us at Sur Lie at 3:00 for curbside pick-up. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $40.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

View Event →
Virtual Pinot Noir Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright (delivery included*)
Dec
11
6:00 PM18:00

Virtual Pinot Noir Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Wright (delivery included*)

Join with Sommelier, Erica Archer + Chef Jef Wright, for an incredible virtual wine dinner-for-two delivered to your door—centered around two beautiful Pinot Noir wines and delicious food to pairings. That’s right, 1-2 hours before logging on to our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing the two featured wines and food courses each in its container with easy instructions to either place in your refrigerator, freezer, or set to be ready for our first course starting at 6 PM.

We are excited to have you join us for this incredible virtual wine dinner as we gather online from the comforts of home—with two wine glasses in hand—to discuss the two featured bottles of Pinot Noir and delicious dishes from Chef Wright… all while creating community and supporting small businesses and local purveyors.

Two Featured Pinot Noir Wines

2020 Pascal Henriot, Pinot Noir, Coteaux de Champlitte, Franche-Comté IGP, France

2017 Shea Wine Cellars, Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette, Valley, Oregon

Menu

Vinegar braised beets, grapefruit, tarragon yogurt, crispy potato 

Farro risotto, local mushrooms, bleu cheese, arugula, 

Braised short rib with roasted Stonecipher Farm carrots, red wine jus

Sous vide creme caramel, candied orange, fleur de sel

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Add Sommelier Erica Archer's curated wine delivery service.

Price is all-inclusive of this incredible dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 deliveries of wine-dinner-for-two in the Greater Portland area. Our delivery area includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at 3:00 pm at Sur Lie. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do 3:00 curbside at Sur Lie.

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Your Chef
Jef Wright is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy, he has worked in a wide array of cuisines and restaurants both large and intimate. For many years he worked in Atlanta GA, with Richard Blais, former Top Chef winner, and focused on molecular gastronomy as a means to reimagine and refine traditional southern dishes. His passion for continued learning has taken him to Philadelphia and New York where he worked in both a 2 Michelin star restaurant and for a large and well-known upscale restaurant group. His style is best described as heavily influenced by traditional French and Spanish cuisine with a love for upscale Southern always focusing on refined techniques. He was the opening sous chef at The Garrison in Yarmouth, where he helped the restaurant attain a 4-½ star review from the Press Herald. Jef is stepped back into the role of Executive Chef, leading the kitchen at Sur Lie for 18 months beginning, December 2019. He has since joined the Wine Wise team and looks forward to sharing his excitement and passion for delicious, sophisticated cuisine, delivered to your door with our beautifully paired wines.

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 down to earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and two wine glasses per person so each of you has one glass each of the two wines to enjoy through the first three savory courses. You’ll also need a corkscrew, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:30 pm the day of this event. Please include your greater Portland delivery address in the comments section at checkout if they are different from your billing address. Or let us know that you’ll meet us at Sur Lie at 3:00 for curbside pick-up. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $40.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

View Event →
Virtual Steakhouse Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Jef Wright + Sommelier Erica Archer
Nov
13
6:00 PM18:00

Virtual Steakhouse Wine Dinner for Two with Chef Jef Wright + Sommelier Erica Archer

We’re excited to bringing the virtual wine dinners back to be able to connect with our customers and community over these delicious, indulgent, and intimate virtual dinners. We can’t wait to see you on the screen—fine wines in hand of course!

Join with Sommelier, Erica Archer + Chef Jef Wright for an incredible 4-course virtual wine dinner-for-two delivered to your door. That’s right, 1-2 hours before logging on to our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing the two featured wines and food courses each in its container with easy instructions to either place in your refrigerator, freezer, or set to be ready for our first course starting at 6 PM.

We are excited to have you join us for this incredible virtual wine dinner as we gather online from the comforts of home—with two wine glasses in hand—to discuss the featured wines and delicious dishes from Chef Wright… all while creating community and supporting small businesses and local purveyors.

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Price is all-inclusive of this incredible dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 deliveries of wine-dinner-for-two in the Greater Portland area. Our delivery area includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at 3:00 pm at Sur Lie. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do 3:00 curbside at Sur Lie.

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Your Chef
Jef Wright is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy, he has worked in a wide array of cuisines and restaurants both large and intimate. For many years he worked in Atlanta GA, with Richard Blais, former Top Chef winner, and focused on molecular gastronomy as a means to reimagine and refine traditional southern dishes. His passion for continued learning has taken him to Philadelphia and New York where he worked in both a 2 Michelin star restaurant and for a large and well-known upscale restaurant group. His style is best described as heavily influenced by traditional French and Spanish cuisine with a love for upscale Southern always focusing on refined techniques. He was the opening sous chef at The Garrison in Yarmouth, where he helped the restaurant attain a 4-½ star review from the Press Herald. Jef is stepped back into the role of Executive Chef, leading the kitchen at Sur Lie for 18 months beginning, December 2019. He is now the Executive Chef at Wine Wise and looks forward to sharing his excitement and passion for delicious, sophisticated cuisine, delivered to your door with our beautifully paired wines.

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 down to earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 6 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and two wine glasses per person so each of you has one glass each of the two wines to enjoy through the first three savory courses. You’ll also need a corkscrew, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 3:00-5:30 pm the day of this event. Please include your greater Portland delivery address in the comments section at checkout if they are different from your billing address. Or let us know that you’ll meet us at Sur Lie at 3:00 for curbside pick-up. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $30.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

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Virtual Mother's Day Brunch for Two: with Chef Ilma Lopez of Chaval (flowers + delivery included)
May
9
11:00 AM11:00

Virtual Mother's Day Brunch for Two: with Chef Ilma Lopez of Chaval (flowers + delivery included)

The presence and impact of COVID-19 have caused us all to live life differently…likely for longer than we would all hope. Our small business prides itself on working with and supporting other locally owned small businesses. These friendships and our willingness to support their small businesses are as strong as ever. And for now, the Wine Wise experience will be coming to you virtually and it’s going to be awesome. We hope to see you on the screen—fine wines in hand of course!

Join with Sommelier, Erica Archer and Chef/Co-Owner Ilma Lopez of Chaval for a Virtual Mother’s Day Brunch-for-Two from the comforts of home and technology. And we’re delivering it all to your door the day before. On Saturday, May 8, the day before our event, you’ll receive your brunch-for-two delivery containing your wine, food with easy instructions to reheat for our Sunday, May 9, 11 am start, and a bouquet of tulips for Mom.

This is part of a series of virtual wine tastings, dinners, and brunches with Chefs Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti of Chaval. We are excited to have you join us for as we gather online from the comforts of home to discuss the featured wines and food pairings, create community and support small businesses and local purveyors.

Wine pairings:

  • 2018 Steininger, Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé Sekt, Niederösterreich, Austria

  • 2019 Cantina Terlano, Winkl, Sauvignon, Südtirol-Alto Adige, Italy

Menu:

  • Gougères with Pekeetoe Crab and Caviar

  • Everything Buttermilk English Muffins with Chaval’s Cured Lox and Whipped Cream Cheese 

  • Quiche with House Smoked Ham, Cabot Cheddar, and Green Asparagus + Demi Salad with Vinaigrette

  • Trocaderos with Maple Cream

  • Whoopie Pie with Maine Blueberries

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

Price is all-inclusive of your wine-dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 15 dinner-for-two deliveries in the Greater Portland area which includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 9, at Chaval. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do 3:00 curbside at Chaval.

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Chef Ilma Lopez has worked in some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. When she left New York City to the quieter reaches of Maine, Lopez found a new terrain she couldn’t resist. Arriving with a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award, has been a twice a semi-finalist James Beard “Best Pastry Chef” (national), and you may have seen her name in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine highlighting her incredible talents when naming Portland, Maine as their pick for ‘Restaurant City of The Year’.

Chef Damian Sansonetti, a Pittsburgh native, grew up exploring fresh, local ingredients, making pasta with his grandmothers, curing meats with his grandfather, and assisting his father in the family kitchen. A career in food was practically his birthright. Graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne.

Training rigorously under Chef Olivier Muller, Sansonetti became chef de banquet at Daniel and then sous chef under Jean Francois Bruel. Promoted to executive chef of Bar Boulud in 2008, Sansonetti was named a 2009 StarChefs.com Rising Star. Now ensconced in the burgeoning food scene of Portland, Maine, Sansonetti’s partnered with his wife, Pastry Chef Ilma Lopez (a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef and nominated in 2018 for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef), to open their Italian fine dining restaurant Piccolo and in 2017 Chaval.

Sommelier Erica Archer is a Maine native and 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 down to earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 11 am on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dining table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and a sparkling wine glass and a rosé wine glass per person. You’ll also need a corkscrew, an ice bucket is you’d like to keep your wine chilled, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your bag of goodies between 3:00-5:00 pm on the day BEFORE the event. We’ll text you when we’re on our way. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams. Delivery is limited to the Greater Portland area. If you live outside of the Greater Portland area and would like to pick-up your own box curbside at Chaval in Portland at 3pm on Saturday, May 9 please note that you will do that at checkout.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $20.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

ilma-damian.jpg
portland-wine-week-maine-Portland_Chaval5.jpg
Erica%2BArcher.jpg
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Private Virtual Corporate Virtual Event (Delivery Included)
Apr
22
2:00 PM14:00

Private Virtual Corporate Virtual Event (Delivery Included)

We are booked for a Private Virtual Virtual Event today! We’d love to do one for you, too, if you have 12 couples or more that you’d like to virtually gather for a delicious evening!

Reach us to plan virtual and socially-distanced in-person events--on land and at sea (typically for 24+ people). Buying tickets to an existing event is also a great option for smaller groups.

wine_wise_virtual_wine_dinner_chaval_sansonetti_bordeaux_12182020_steak_tartare.jpg
wine_wise_st_home_virtual_wine_dinner_surlie_steak_steakhouse.jpg
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Private Virtual Corporate Virtual Event (Delivery Included)
Apr
15
2:00 PM14:00

Private Virtual Corporate Virtual Event (Delivery Included)

We are booked for a Private Virtual Virtual Event today! We’d love to do one for you, too, if you have 12 couples or more that you’d like to virtually gather for a delicious evening!

Reach us to plan virtual and socially-distanced in-person events--on land and at sea (typically for 24+ people). Buying tickets to an existing event is also a great option for smaller groups.

wine_wise_virtual_wine_dinner_chaval_sansonetti_bordeaux_12182020_steak_tartare.jpg
wine_wise_st_home_virtual_wine_dinner_surlie_steak_steakhouse.jpg
View Event →
Private Virtual Corporate Virtual Event (Delivery Included)
Apr
8
2:00 PM14:00

Private Virtual Corporate Virtual Event (Delivery Included)

We are booked for a Private Virtual Virtual Event today! We’d love to do one for you, too, if you have 12 couples or more that you’d like to virtually gather for a delicious evening!

Reach us to plan virtual and socially-distanced in-person events--on land and at sea (typically for 24+ people). Buying tickets to an existing event is also a great option for smaller groups.

wine_wise_virtual_wine_dinner_chaval_sansonetti_bordeaux_12182020_steak_tartare.jpg
wine_wise_st_home_virtual_wine_dinner_surlie_steak_steakhouse.jpg
View Event →
Private Virtual Corporate Virtual Event (Delivery Included)
Apr
1
2:00 PM14:00

Private Virtual Corporate Virtual Event (Delivery Included)

We are booked for a Private Virtual Virtual Event today! We’d love to do one for you, too, if you have 12 couples or more that you’d like to virtually gather for a delicious evening!

Reach us to plan virtual and socially-distanced in-person events--on land and at sea (typically for 24+ people). Buying tickets to an existing event is also a great option for smaller groups.

wine_wise_virtual_wine_dinner_chaval_sansonetti_bordeaux_12182020_steak_tartare.jpg
wine_wise_st_home_virtual_wine_dinner_surlie_steak_steakhouse.jpg
View Event →
(SOLD OUT) Virtual Wine Dinner for Two: Spain in Maine with Chef Damian Sansonetti of Chaval
Mar
19
7:00 PM19:00

(SOLD OUT) Virtual Wine Dinner for Two: Spain in Maine with Chef Damian Sansonetti of Chaval

The presence and impact of COVID-19 have caused us all to live life differently…likely for longer than we would all hope. Our small business prides itself on working with and supporting other locally-owned small businesses. These friendships and our willingness to support their small businesses are as strong as ever. And for now, the Wine Wise experience will be coming to you virtually and it’s going to be awesome. We hope to see you on the screen—fine wines in hand of course!

Join Sommelier, Erica Archer, and Chef/Co-Owner Damian Sansonetti of Chaval for a Virtual Wine Dinner from the comforts of home and technology. And we’re delivering it all to your door. 1-2 hours before our event you’ll receive your dinner-for-two box containing your wine and food with easy instructions to reheat for our 7 pm start.

This is part of a series of Friday night Virtual Wine Dinners with Sansonetti and Archer (and perhaps we will have a guest appearance or treat from Chef Ilma Lopez from time to time). Each week we’ll touch on a different region of the world or grape variety in two different expressions through wine and cuisine using the produce of local Maine farmers. harvesters, and purveyors. Tonight Chef Sansonetti is bringing Spain to Maine. We can’t wait to enjoy this incredible meal with you.

Featured Wines:

  • Mata, Vermouth Tinto, Bierzo, Spain

  • 2017 Raventós i Blanc, Conca del Riu Anoia, L'Hereu, Blanc de Blancs, Cava, Spain

  • 2018 Raúl Pérez, Las Gundiñas, Lomas de Valtuille, Bierzo, Spain

Menu:

  • Castilian Garlic Soup & Maine Lobster

  • Ensalada Russa Con Atún (Confit Maine Bluefin Tuna)

  • Roasted Local Leg of Lamb, Chickpeas, with Chorizo and Olives,  Charred Spring Onions, Romesco Sauce 

  • Torrejas with Red Wine Caramel

Due to the nature of this event, we regret that we cannot accommodate food substitutions.

We are excited to have you join us as we gather online from the comforts of home to discuss the featured wines and food pairings, create community and support small businesses and local purveyors.

Price is all-inclusive the dinner-for-two, 2 bottles of wine, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. “Seating” is limited to 12 deliveries in the Greater Portland area which includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook.

Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at 4:15 pm at Chaval. Just make sure to put a note in the comments section at checkout that you’ll do4:15 curbside at Chaval.

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

Chef Damian Sansonetti, a Pittsburgh native, grew up exploring fresh, local ingredients, making pasta with his grandmothers, curing meats with his grandfather, and assisting his father in the family kitchen. A career in food was practically his birthright. Graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne.

Training rigorously under Chef Olivier Muller, Sansonetti became chef de banquet at Daniel and then sous chef under Jean Francois Bruel. Promoted to executive chef of Bar Boulud in 2008, Sansonetti was named a 2009 StarChefs.com Rising Star. Now ensconced in the burgeoning food scene of Portland, Maine, Sansonetti’s partnered with his wife, Pastry Chef Ilma Lopez (a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef and nominated in 2018 for a James Beard Award as Outstanding Pastry Chef), to open their Italian fine dining restaurant Piccolo and in 2017 Chaval.

Chef Ilma Lopez has worked in some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. When she left New York City to the quieter reaches of Maine, Lopez found a new terrain she couldn’t resist. Arriving with a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award, has been a twice a semi-finalist James Beard “Best Pastry Chef” (national), and you may have seen her name in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine highlighting her incredible talents when naming Portland, Maine as their pick for ‘Restaurant City of The Year’.

Sommelier Erica Archer is a Maine native and 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 down to earth style and sense of humor.

Where do we meet?
On your computer screen at 7 pm on the day of the event. You’ll download the Zoom app and access our event through a link that we will send you.

What do we need?
Set your dinner table with a fork, knife, spoon, napkin, water, and a wine glass per person. You’ll also need a corkscrew, an ice bucket is you’d like to keep your wine chilled, the downloaded materials for this event, and a computer with internet access, sound, and video capability. Be sure to download the ZOOM app before this event as that is the platform we will be using so that we can all see and hear each other.

Tell us about delivery.
We’ll deliver your box of goodies between 4:30-6:00 pm on the day of the event. They’ll be a form for you to fill out at check-out with specific delivery instructions and the best number to text you at. We’ll text you when we’re on our way and again when delivery has been completed. We are vigilant about abiding by all safety and physical distancing requirements for your safety and that of ourselves and our teams. Delivery is limited to the Greater Portland area. If you live outside of the Greater Portland area and would like to pick-up your own box curbside at Chaval in Portland, we can arrange that.

Cancellations/Reschedules/No Shows
Because of our size, and the need to purchase the wine and food to accommodate the number of tickets sold, we will be able to refund you only if we can re-sell your tickets (minus the $20.00 credit card transactions we have to pay) OR reschedule you to a different event (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?

ilma-damian.jpg
portland-wine-week-maine-Portland_Chaval5.jpg
Erica%2BArcher.jpg
View Event →
Private Virtual Wine Dinner for 17 Couples (Delivery Included)
Mar
14
6:00 PM18:00

Private Virtual Wine Dinner for 17 Couples (Delivery Included)

We are booked for a Private Virtual Wine Dinner this evening!!! We’d love to do one for you, too, if you have 12 or more couples that you’d like to virtually gather for a delicious evening!

Price is all-inclusive the twelve dinners-for-two including 2 bottles of wine each, tax, service, download materials, event experience, and delivery. Have less than twelve couples? Join one of our regularly scheduled Virtual Wine Dinners and just buy the number of tickets that you need.

Our delivery includes Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Gorham, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook. Live outside of our Greater Portland delivery area? No problem. You may meet us for contact-less curbside pick-up at the restaurant a few hours before the strart of the event.

For delivery and curbside, you can rest assured that we are exceeding all requirements for your safety and the safety of our teams in preparing, pick-up, and delivering.

wine_wise_virtual_wine_dinner_chaval_sansonetti_bordeaux_12182020_steak_tartare.jpg
wine_wise_st_home_virtual_wine_dinner_surlie_steak_steakhouse.jpg
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