First CIA Facility Geared to the General Public, with Daily Cooking Classes
and Wine Tastings, Lifestyle Store, Event Spaces, and Restaurant
Napa, CA – The world’s premier culinary college officially opens The Culinary Institute of
America (CIA) at Copia in mid-November. Located
in the heart of Napa’s bustling Oxbow district, CIA at Copia is the
ultimate Napa Valley destination for exploring, experiencing, and
enjoying the world of food and wine. Visitors and locals are welcome
to attend
engaging and delicious cooking and beverage classes in the
state-of-the-art
Napa Valley Vintners Theater, shop for the best in home goods at the
new
lifestyle store, delight in family-friendly events, dine in the new
restaurant,
and much more. In addition to offering daily programming, wine
tasting, and
dining opportunities, CIA at Copia provides the
perfect setting for an array of special events, both public and
private, in its
80,000 square-feet of indoor and outdoor event and theater space.
“CIA at Copia is a first for The Culinary Institute of America,
entirely dedicated to offering its innovative, industry-leading food and wine
education and experiences to the public. It opens a window into what the CIA truly
is: a visionary thought-leader and innovator in food and beverage, with
world-class faculty and facilities,” said Thomas Bensel, managing director of CIA’s
California campus. “CIA at Copia’s educational programming
takes our enthusiast programming to another level, for people of all ages and interests.”
Public Cooking and
Beverage Classes
At CIA at Copia, daily culinary demonstrations and
wine tastings in the 72-seat Napa Valley Vintners Theater bring together
acclaimed vintners, chefs, visiting scholars, educators, and food and wine
leaders who shape the industry, for compelling and thought-provoking programs.
Classes are taught by CIA
instructors and expert guest lecturers, and feature
seasonally-themed recipes ideal for recreating in the home kitchen. Guests can
learn to make fresh pasta or take a Chef’s Class on homemade fresh cheese, or
even learn to taste wine in 90 seconds. On Sundays, also known as Family Funday, CIA at Copia offers
classes such as Brunch Batters, where guests of all ages learn how to make the
best pancakes and waffles, or Mac & Cheese, where the classic dish is
reimagined. Classes range from demonstration-style to hands-on and tickets are available online.
The state-of-the-art wine tasting and culinary demonstration
theater was named in honor of the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), a nonprofit trade
association, which recently pledged $1 million to The Culinary Institute of
America at Copia.
The Restaurant at CIA Copia
The restaurant will be a destination for market-based, Mediterranean-inspired,
California cuisine that pairs perfectly with Napa Valley wines and craft
cocktails. Modern yet timeless, the restaurant’s design offers a sleek and comfortable
setting, with earth tones, hints of olive green, and lighter woods. In the
just-completed remodel of the original Copia building
by CIA and Architectural Resources Group (ARG), the façade was extended nearly
eight feet from its original location, allowing the dining room to seamlessly
blend with the property’s breathtaking patio, gardens, and olive grove. Inspired
by those at Versailles, and reminiscent of the south of France or Northern
Italy, the gardens at CIA at Copia are a source of
seasonal produce for the restaurant, overseen by CIA Farm Manager Matthew Gunn.
Under the leadership of Waldy Malouf, CIA senior director of food and beverage
operations, and Chef de Cuisine Chris Aken,
innovation is at the heart of the restaurant. Front-of-house and back-of-house
roles are blended to create a new approach to service. An array of craveable, sharable dishes is offered tableside to guests
during dinner, displayed on carts and trays by the cooks who created them.
Guests are encouraged to take the dishes that appeal to them, and the cook
marks their selection on their menu. Guests will have a chance to see all of the
savory items and desserts, plus frequent specials, and meet every cook in the
kitchen in the process. The number of dishes they select is tabulated at the
conclusion of their dining experience. Wines by the glass will similarly be
offered on a cart that travels throughout the restaurant, and guests are
invited to taste as many as six wines before selecting one (or more) to enjoy. The
restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner daily beginning in mid-November.
Special Features and
Programming
The Shop at Copia
Whether it be kitchen tools or
locally crafted home goods, gorgeous linens, or handy garden tools, shoppers need
look no further than the shop at Copia. The ultimate
culinary lifestyle store is the perfect place to find cookbooks by CIA faculty,
alumni, and guest chefs, as well as artisanal food products, CIA branded items,
and much more.
Event Space
CIA at Copia is the ideal location
for any type of event involving food and wine, from an intimate wedding in the amphitheater
to a cocktail reception in the atrium, or an industry conference that commands
the entire building. The light-filled, modern atrium, located in the center of
the building, is available for evening receptions and can accommodate 800
guests in a standing reception or a 350-seat dinner. A mezzanine overlooks the atrium, amphitheater,
and the Napa River beyond that can host an event for up to 300. Adjacent to the
mezzanine are two classrooms that can be used for breakout sessions, each
seating 30. Outside, the terraced and grassy amphitheater
seats 600 in rows or 375 at tables.
The restaurant has one private dining room that seats 12,
and two private dining rooms that each seat 18, but can be combined to seat 36.
Meeting spaces upstairs at CIA at Copia include the Food Business School classroom: 25 seats; the boardroom: 25 seats, reception
space for 50 (on balcony); and garden balcony: 80 seated, 120 standing.
Additionally, CIA at Copia has two
distinct, stadium-style theater settings: the Napa Valley Vintners Theater, a
state-of-the-art culinary demonstration and wine tasting theater that seats 72;
and the main theater at Copia, ideal for movie
screenings, speakers’ series, and panel presentations, which seats 250. For
private event bookings, contact Amy Thomason-Richardson at 707-967-2307
Looking Ahead
The Wine Hall of Fame and atrium wine tasting experience at CIA at
Copia are anticipated to debut in the spring 2017, and the
Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Collection and a state-of-the-art
teaching kitchen
both have planned openings in late summer 2017.
For additional information, visit www.ciaatcopia.com.
Photo Captions and Hi-Res Images:
The Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, CA officially opens next month. Geared to the general public, the
facility is the CIA’s new California location for cooking classes and wine
tastings and is home to a lifestyle store, restaurant, and event spaces. (Photo credits: CIA/Phil Mansfield)
View hi-res image >
View hi-res image >
Media Contact:
Evita Broughton
510-735-9667
evita@ellipsespr.com
About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier
culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and
hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers bachelor’s degree
majors in management, culinary science, and applied food studies; associate
degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts; and executive education
through its Food Business School. The college also offers certificate programs
and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences and consulting
services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry, and its
worldwide network of 49,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the
food business. The CIA has campuses in New York, California, Texas, and
Singapore.
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