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Local Event Premier Host
Cost: $145 advance / $155 day of (if available)
Must be 21 years of age or older.
For those of you that have sailed with us in the past, we hope you are well. We honestly can’t wait to see you and take you on a safe, ventilated, quality wine, and sailing experience that puts you safely 6-feet distanced from other passengers. We know it’s the highlight of your Summer and we plan on keeping it that way. For those that are new to us, we look forward to sharing this incredible experience with you.
It’s important to note that we are on a different boat and a different location, and a different schedule this year. The sailboat Frances has chosen not to operate this season and we are forever grateful to Portland Schooner Company for adopting us and giving us a Summer home with their largest Schooner, Timberwind, a two-masted schooner built in 1931 by Victor Cole at Union Wharf in Portland and measures in at 96' overall. Read below for direction to the Maine Wharf (not the Maine State Pier).
COVID-19 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS OF ALL PASSENGERS
We are closely adhering to Maine’s guidelines for social distancing, sanitizing, and face coverings. Be sure to bring your face masks. You will be required to wear your face mask for waiting in line, boarding, disembarking, and anytime you get up from your seat to use the head (bathroom). A face covering is not required while sitting and enjoying the wine sail. Please keep 6-feet distanced from others standing in line to board and while disembarking. Once we are all boarded and seated you will be able to take your face mask off for the duration of the sail while you are in your assigned seat. We feel compelled to emphasize that this is a trying time for a lot of people. This may be some passengers' first “safe experience” outdoors. It is all of our responsibility to act with others' safety, comfort, and enjoyment in mind. We are all in this together. Let’s care for one another and have an incredible experience that will be the highlight of your summer, for sure.
CHANGES TO TICKET PURCHASES
It is imperative that you buy all of the tickets for your party in one purchase so that you may all be seated together. We cannot move people around after boarding as we need to depart on-time. We do not have the staff to answer emails and phone calls and re-do seating charts over and over again if this imperative detail is missed.
JOIN US FOR AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE
Join with Sommelier Erica Archer and the incredible team at Sur Lie—an awesome tapas-style restaurant right here in Portland, Maine—for a gorgeous scenic wine and food sail. You’ll indulge in five incredibly delicious wines ... each paired with delicious food from Chef Jef Wright. You're in for an incredible wine education and food experience as you sail through Maine’s beautiful Casco Bay with scenic views of Maine lighthouses, islands, and waterways .. all while indulging in a wine class. You'll walk away with knowing a lot about wine, how regional influences impact wine styles and quality, gain confidence knowing how to evaluate, select and pair wines, and describe what you smell and taste. And no doubt you will taste and learn a lot about the incredible food that Chef Wright has made for you.
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
Raised in central Florida, Jef Wright discovered his passion for the culinary world at a young age. As a child he was always very interested in cooking, an avid watcher of cooking shows instead of cartoons, he quickly became inspired by the talented chefs and sophisticated techniques he found there. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy, he continues to challenge himself and seek out new opportunities to learn and refine his craft. 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.
Jef moved to Maine 8 years ago with his wife and their first child so they could begin a new adventure, taking over her family’s garden seed company, Pinetree Garden Seeds, in New Gloucester. While he has enjoyed the experience of connecting with the food system as a supplier and working with local farmers and restaurants to offer fresh and flavorful produce, his first love has always been the kitchen. 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 returned to the industry as 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 thrilled to be stepping back into the role of Executive Chef and leading the kitchen at Sur Lie. He looks forward to sharing his excitement and passion for delicious, sophisticated cuisine with Portland.
YOUR SOMMELIER
Archer is a true oenophile, having obtained high levels of certification in her field. In 2010, she was awarded the Wine Spirit and Education Trust Level Three Advanced Certification in Wines and Spirits (with merit), became a Sommelier in the American Court of Master Sommeliers, and received her Certified Wine Professional award from the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California. Erica is the principal of Wine Wise, a wine education and events service and is skilled at creating truly creative and memorable wine experiences that take guests beyond a typical tasting with her intimate understanding of what makes each wine unique. And she’ll do it with her trademark sense of humor.
WHERE DO WE MEET?
Timberwind is located on the Maine Wharf on Portland’s historic waterfront, not the Maine State Pier where we have previously departed from. Entrance to the Maine Wharf is located on Commercial Street, Portland, Maine, between Scales Restaurant (down the wharf a little bit at 68 Commercial Street) and RiRa Irish Pub (72 Commercial Street) You’ll go all the way to the end of the wharf, approximately 100 yards towards the waterfront, past Scales. You can’t miss Timberwind at the end of the dock. Please keep in mind that this is the Maine Wharf, not the Maine State Pier where we have previously departed from. Please keep in mind to have your required face mask on and be 6-feet distanced from other parties while waiting in line. We’ll be on the boat setting-up and will come to get you when we’re ready to board you. You’ll receive a more detailed email a few days before your wine sail.
CANCELLATIONS/RESCHEDULES/NO SHOWS
Because of our size, cancellations affect us significantly. If we are able to re-sell your tickets we can refund your ticket price minus the $20.00 credit card transactions we have to pay OR reschedule you to a different date that has availability (there is no credit card transaction fee in this case). You are always welcome to send a friend or family member in your place or sell your own tickets. Just make sure we have the ticket holder's email address so we can send them the event notifications, so they are aware of where to find us and any day-of weather-related notifications. There are no refunds or reschedules for no shows or if we are not able to resell your tickets. Makes sense, right?
Hosted by
Wine Wise
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