Flavor! Napa Valley ® is a five-day food and wine festival which showcases world-class wines and culinary star talent in one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world.  The events, which take place March 16-20, 2016, range from local and celebrity chef demonstrations to intimate winemaker workshops, along with grand tastings and one-of-a-kind experiences to support programs and scholarships at The Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus in St. Helena, CA.

A selection of Flavor! Napa Valley events are highlighted below. For a complete list of events, visit http://flavornapavalley.com/events/

A Celebration of the Judgment of Paris Wine Dinner

Starring CIA All-star Alumni Chefs
Thursday, March 17, 2016; 6 – 10 p.m. at Silverado Resort and Spa
$295 per person
Toasting the 40th anniversary of the legendary 1976 Judgment of Paris, guests will experience wines from participating wineries including Chateau Montelena, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Freemark Abbey, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Heitz Wine Cellars, Clos du Val Winery, and Veedercrest Wines. Participating chefs include:

  • Richard Blais, Top Chef winner and owner of Trail Blais, Inc.;

  • Matthew Accarrino, executive chef, SPQR, San Francisco;

  • Bradley Ogden, president, Bradley Ogden Hospitality;

  • Justin Yu, executive chef, Oxheart, Houston;

  • Larry Forgione, culinary director/co-founder, American Food Studies: Farm to Table Cooking, The Culinary Institute of America

Inside the Mind of San Francisco Restaurant Critic Michael Bauer

Presented by the San Francisco Chronicle
Friday, March 18, 2016; 2:30 – 4 p.m. at The Culinary Institute of America at Copia
$95 per person
The afternoon will include a very candid conversation with acclaimed San Francisco Restaurant Critic Michael Bauer, moderated by chef, author and television personality Tyler Florence. In this interactive program, Mr. Bauer will share his thoughts about his process, the current Bay Area restaurant scene and what it takes to succeed as a great restaurant. He will also share insights on trends and his picks for the best restaurants and chefs for the year.  The afternoon will also touch on a few of the questions Mr. Bauer is frequently asked during the in-depth Q&A session:

  • What is it like to dine in every prestigious Bay Area restaurant, and then some?

  • Is it possible for a restaurant reviewer to really be anonymous?

  • What makes a three- to-four-star restaurant?

  • How often do you dine out?

“The Young Guns Pop-Up Dinner”

An Evening with the Bay Area’s Rising Star Chefs, Featuring Wines from Inglenook
Friday, March 18, 2016; 6:30  - 10 p.m. at Inglenook winery in Rutherford
$185 per person
This five-course dinner, paired with Inglenook wines, features seven of the Bay Area’s brightest rising star chefs, who each share a passion for local ingredients. Inglenook’s legacy dates back to 1879 when Gustave Niebaum came to Rutherford to build a wine estate to rival Europe’s finest. Francis and Eleanor Coppola purchased the property in 1975 and have restored Inglenook’s illustrious heritage. Dinner will be hosted in Inglenook’s grand chateau, which was built in 1887.  The location and history of this dinner pairs perfectly with the bright, young participating chefs, which include:

  • Alex Lovick, host chef, Inglenook

  • Perry Hoffman, executive chef, SHED Cafe

  • ?Sean Massey, chef de cuisine, Morimoto Napa

  • Trevor Kunk, executive chef, PRESS Restaurant

  • Jason Raffin, executive chef, Scotland Yard

  • Ari Weiswasser, executive chef, Glen Ellen Star

  • Laura Cronin, pastry chef, Perbacco/Barbacco/Volta

  • Phillippe Bascaules, host winemaker, Inglenook

Chef Demonstration: Cooking with Top Chef Winner Richard Blais

Saturday, March 19, 2016; 10 – 11:30 a.m. at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
$95 per person
This is a unique opportunity to meet the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars, Richard Blais, who is also a successful chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Blais went on to train at French Laundry, Daniel, Chez Panisse, and el Bulli.  

Chef Demonstration: What Happens in Napa…Vegas Meets the Valley with Chef Rick Moonen
Saturday, March 19, 2016; 3 - 4:30 p.m. at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
$95 per person
Celebrity chef and cookbook author, Rick Moonen will provide guests with a unique Las Vegas inspired FEAST challenge. Alongside Sunset Food Editor, Margo True and Feast it Forward host Katie Hamilton Shaffer, Chef Moonen will lead these foodies through a live fire throw down as ingredients meet their match at the gambling table. The afternoon includes wine tasting of premier Napa Valley wineries in Stolzle glassware while the entertainment of quick wit “betting” will determine the outcome of this culinary game show.

Chef Demos

Additional “Chef Demos” include “Cooking with Christopher Kostow,” chef at The Restaurant at Meadowood; “Pizza Making with Tony Gemignani,” of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana; and “Offal Good-Cooking with Star Chef Chris Cosentino.”

Legendary Napa Valley, The Grand Tasting

Saturday, March 19, 2016; VIP admission 6 p.m.; General Admission 7 p.m. at
The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
$175 per person
This epicurean adventure showcases a collection of the Napa Valley’s most celebrated and innovative vintners and chefs. The Legendary Grand Tasting will feature nearly 80 wineries and fare from over 25 of the Valley’s best restaurants, all presented in The Culinary Institute of America’s historic Greystone building. Guests will meet the magic behind the wine labels as an unparalleled sampling of winemakers personally pour their favorite vintages and reveal how the soils, microclimates and topography influence the wide array of distinctive grapes in this premier wine-growing region.

Participating restaurants include:

1313 Main, Atlas Social, Angele Restaurant, Bardessono, Bistro Jeanty, Ca’Momi, Cococlectic, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Del Dotto, Eiko’s Restaurant, Harvest Table, Heritage Eats, Jamieson Ranch Vineyard, Meritage Resort and Spa, Napa Valley Marriott, Panevino and Subrosa Salumi, PRESS Restaurant, Scotland Yard, Silverado Resort and Spa, Zuzu

Participating wineries include:

Ackerman Family Vineyards, Acumen, Alpha Omega, Antica Napa Valley, B Cellars, Ballentine Vineyards, Barnett Vineyards, Beaulieu Vineyard, Beringer, Cairdean Estate, Cakebread Cellars, Ca’Momi, Canard Vineyard, Chappellet Vineyard, Cliff Lede Vineyards, Clos Du Val, Conn Creek Winery, Crocker & Starr Winery, Darms Lane Wine, Del Dotto Vineyards, Domaine Chandon, Duckhorn Vineyards, Eagle Eye Winery, Eleven Eleven wines, Etude, Farella Vineyard & Winery, Frank Family Vineyards, Gamble Family Vineyards, Grgich Hills Estate, Hall Wines, Jamieson Ranch Vineyards, Jean Edwards Cellars, Joseph Carr, Kenefick Ranch, Krupp Brothers, Laird Family Estate, Leto Cellars, Louis M. Martini, Merryvale Vineyards, Oakville Ranch, Oberon, O’Shaughessy Estate Winery, Parallel Napa Valley, Parry Cellars, Peju Province Winery, Pine Ridge Vineyards, Pope Valley Winery, Priest Ranch, Provenance, Purecru Winery, Quixote Winery, Rombauer Vineyards, Salvestrin Winery, Schweiger Vineyards, Signorello Estate, Stags’ Leap Winery, Sterling, Stony Hill Vineyard, Summers Winery, Trefethen Family Winery, Tres Sabores, Truchard Vineyards, Tudal Winery, V. Sattui Winery, Wallis Family Estate, William Cole

A complete list of culinary talent, including chef biographies, may be found at http://flavornapavalley.com/talent/

“Terroir to Table”®

The five-day food and wine event also includes a series of “Terroir to Table” workshops Thursday, March 17 through Saturday, March 19. These include “Behind the Scenes with Nickel & Nickel;” “Detox to Retox” at Indian Springs Resort; “Appellation Exploration” at HALL Wines; and “Winery Aromatherapy with a Corkscrew” at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards as well as chef demonstrations.

Wine Classes

A highlight of Flavor! Napa Valley Wine Classes, offered Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19, include “Spring Awakening & the Rose Revolution;” “Aromatic White Wines for Spring;” “Exploring the Rhone Zone;” and “The Young Turks of Napa Valley.”

Additional events, including “After Parties,” and “Tours,” as well as full descriptions of all events, including dates, times, pricing and ticket information, may be found at Flavor! Napa Valley.

Overnight Packages

For those wishing to enjoy a “full” Flavor! Napa Valley experience by attending multiple events over the course of four days, Visit Napa Valley offers an array of overnight packages, many of which include tickets to select Flavor! Napa Valley events.

Visit Napa Valley is proud to announce the sponsors for Flavor! Napa Valley 2016:

  • Presenting Sponsor -- American Express

  • Founding Sponsor -- Silverado Resort & Spa

  • Imperial Sponsors -- Downtown Napa and The Meritage Resort & Spa

  • Jeroboam Sponsor -- OpenTable and PG&E

  • Double Magnum Sponsors – Celebrity Cruises and Mr. Espresso

  • Magnum Sponsors – Beringer; Peet’s Coffee and Tea; and Chef Works

Flavor! Napa Valley is produced by Visit Napa Valley, the official tourism marketing organization for the Napa Valley, in association with San Francisco based event management companies Andrew Freeman & Co. and DPEM.