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Countdown to Flavor! Napa Valley March 22-26, 2017

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Countdown to Flavor! Napa Valley March 22-26, 2017 Five Days, plenty of  amazing events and one legendary festival – The countdown to Flavor! Napa Valley, March 22-26, 2017, has begun! The five-day food and wine festival support programs and scholarships at The Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus in St. Helena, CA. Flavor! During Flavor! Napa Valley, you’ll soak up inspiration from iconic chefs and winemakers while experiencing the best that Napa Valley has to offer. As you discover new flavors, you’ll also be supporting programs and scholarships of emerging talent from The Culinary Institute of America.

Flavor! Napa showcases the finest in farm-to-table cuisine and world class wines with a series of local and celebrity chef demonstrations, intimate winemaker workshops, as well as grand tastings and exclusive experiences to bring out the best flavors of Napa Valley.  Tickets for Flavor! Napa Valley are available at FlavorNapaValley.com.

A highlight of Flavor! Napa Valley 2017 events include:

Thursday, March 23, 2017

“From Vineyard to Bottle – Exploring Napa Valley with Iconic Winemaker Heidi Barrett” at the CIA at Copia 2:30 – 4 p.m.; $95 per person

Moderated by wine, food and television star Leslie Hartley­Sbrocco of KQED’s “Check, Please!” this exclusive seminar and tasting is focused on Heidi’s secrets behind how she captures the deep and complex flavors of the fruit in the wines she makes for her La Sirena and Barrett & Barrett labels, as well as other special selections from the highly­touted Napa Valley brands Paradigm, Fantesca, Kenzo Estate and Lamborn Family Vineyards.

“Napa Valley Icons Dinner” presented by the Silverado Resort and Spa at Silverado Resort and Spa 6 – 10 p.m.; $295 per person

Guests will celebrate the food and wine icons of the Napa Valley at the Silverado Resort and Spa while honoring legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett, who is responsible for some of California’s most notable cult wines. From multiple 100­point rated wines to setting a world record when a 6­liter bottle of her Screaming Eagle 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon sold for $500,000 at the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2000. Participating chefs include Host Chef Jeffrey Jake from Silverado Resort and Spa; Matthew Accarrino from SPQR; Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski from State Bird Provisions and The Progress; Ken Frank from La Toque; Michael Schulson from Schulson Collective; and esteemed CIA graduate Waldy Malouf.

Chef Demo “Tyler Malek and Lisa Vega at the CIA at Copia 10 – 11:30 a.m.; $75 per person

Indulge your sweet tooth with Chefs Tyler Malek, co­owner and chef of Salt & Straw Ice Cream, and Lisa Vega, executive pastry chef at Dandelion Chocolate.  Guests will experience what happens when great minds collide with their unique use of ingredients, techniques, and secret tricks of the trade, and reap the delicious benefits of this culinary match with Salt & Straw’s innovative, seasonally­driven ice cream, and Dandelion’s small batch bean to bar chocolate.

Friday, March 24, 2017

 Terroir to Table – “The Blend Experience at Paraduxx” at Paraduxx Winery 10 – 11:30 a.m.; $95 per person

During this lively, hands­on experience, guests will be guided through a component tasting of the three core varietals that make up Paraduxx and learn the techniques of winemaking. Wines will be seasonally paired with bites from local chefs, Natalie and Jonathan Niksa, of La Saison, Napa Valley.

Terroir to Table – “The Spirited Side of Napa Valley” at 2:30 – 4 p.m.; $95 per person

The class is designed to showcase the spirited side of Napa Valley. Guests will start with a welcome beverage and short distillery tour, followed by a whiskey barrel tasting with the Napa Distillery owner and distiller. After the tour, guests will enjoy a multi­course small plate and cocktail/spirits pairing experience in the grand tasting salon. Each course will be prepared exclusively for each cocktail/spirit, made with spirits crafted at the distillery.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Terroir to Table – “Exercise Your Senses with St. Supery Estate Vineyards and Winery at St. Supery Estate Vineyards 10 – 11:30 a.m.; $95 per person

This class explores wine aromas suggestive of fruit character, barrel aging and terroir while tasting four estate grown St. Supéry wines. Guests will exercise their sense of smell through a series of aroma identifications designed to discover how personal sensory memory impacts how aromas are recognized. This interactive sommelier­led experience includes a mystery wine game to ultimately guide guests to identify more aromas in their glass to heighten the enjoyment of wine.

“Legendary Napa Valley, The Grand Tasting” at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone VIP admission is 6 – 7 p.m. and tickets are $225 per person; general admission is at 7 p.m. and tickets are $175 per person.

The sixth annual Grand Tasting at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena allows guests to taste their way through the Napa Valley with a selection of sweet and savory bites from more than 25 Napa Valley restaurants, paired with wine from more than 80 Napa Valley wineries. Participating restaurants include Angele Restaurant; Brasswood; Harvest Table; Lucy Restaurant & Bar; Nuri; PRESS Restaurant; Sam’s Social Club; Silverado Resort & Spa; Tarla Mediterranean Bar & Grill; The Farm at Carneros; and The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil. 2 Flavor! Napa Valley includes additional Napa Valley Wine Tours; Terroir to Table events, Chef Demonstrations, and Wine Classes.

Wine Events at Flavor! Napa Valley with Christopher Sawyer of SawyerSomm.com – WINE MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAMMING – Christopher Sawyer is an internationally-renowned sommelier,  wine educator, journalist, consultant, critic and public speaker: He travels the world following trends in wine and participating as a VIP judge in the world’s top wine competitions, and has been featured in a wide range of national media, including USAToday, MSN, NBC, ABC, CBS, Redbook, The Hollywood Reporter, Maxim, National Geographic Traveler, CNN and Esquire.

Visit Napa Valley is proud to announce the event sponsors for Flavor! Napa Valley 2017:

● Founding Sponsor: Silverado Resort and Spa
● Presenting Sponsor: Downtown Napa Association
●Jeroboam Sponsor: Bright Event Rentals
● Double Magnum Sponsors: Celebrity CruisesMr. EspressoTriMarkNapa Valley Marriott.

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Wine Events at Flavor! Napa Valley with Christopher Sawyer of SawyerSomm.com – WINE MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAMMING

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ChristopherSawyerWine Events at Flavor! Napa Valley with Christopher Sawyer of SawyerSomm.com – WINE MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAMMING – Christopher Sawyer is an internationally-renowned sommelier,  wine educator, journalist, consultant, critic and public speaker: He travels the world following trends in wine and participating as a VIP judge in the world’s top wine competitions, and has been featured in a wide range of national media, including USAToday, MSN, NBC, ABC, CBS, Redbook, The Hollywood Reporter, Maxim, National Geographic Traveler, CNN and Esquire.

WINE PARTNER
NVV_CenteredLogo_150wThe Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its more than 525 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home.

Check out these amazing wine events:

Terroir to Table: Exploration of Pinot Noirs with Etude Wines
Location: Etude Wines – 1250 Cuttings Wharf Road Napa, CA 94559 
Thursday, March 17, 2016 -Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Join winemaker Jon Priest for a unique tasting that showcases Etude’s continual study of this captivating varietal and its varying expressions from Carneros, Sonoma Coast, Santa Barbara County and Willamette Valley. Jon will lead a side-by-side tasting of these limited regional Pinot Noirs to help you understand how terroir influences the aromas and flavors of this popular grape and explore how Pinot Noir is highly sensitive to climate and changes in soil composition. With Etude’s minimal intervention approach, even when each Pinot Noir is treated the exact same way in the winery, the resulting wines will ultimately be different. After the intimate seated tasting, Jon will lead Flavor guests into Etude’s cellar for a behind-the-scenes barrel tasting of an unreleased vintage of all the Pinots just tasted. Guests will also come away with a bottle of Pinot and other surprises. Space is very limited.

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The Taste of Time: A Retrospective Tasting with Chateau Montelena and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
Location: Silverado Resort and Spa – 1600 Atlas Peak Road Napa, CA 94558
Thursday, March 17, 2016 –  
Time: 4:00pm – 5:30pm

In celebration of the 40-year anniversary of the Judgment of Paris Tasting, join winemakers Matt Crafton of Chateau Montelena and Marcus Nataro of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for this exclusive tasting of rare and unique wines that represent the flavor of Napa Valley and each winery’s commitment to quality over the past four decades.

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Wine Class: Spring Awakening & the Rosé Revolution
Location: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 2555 Main Street St. Helena, CA 94574
Friday, March 18, 2016 –  Time: 10:00am – 11:30am

rose-grabAn in-depth tasting experience focused on the wide range of dry, elegant, and refreshing styles of pink wines made with premium grapes from Napa Valley, and how these tasty delights pair with fine cuisine in the Spring and Summer months.

Participants include:
Tim Collar, Saintsbury: Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, Carneros
Kevin Morrisey, Ehlers Estate: “Sylviane” Cabernet Franc Rose, Estate, St. Helena
Julia Johnson, Tres Sabores: “Ingrid & Julia” Rose, Napa Valley
Robin Akhurst, Swanson Vineyards, Rosato, Antica Vineyard, Atlas Peak

Moderator: Traci Dutton, Manager, Public Wine and Beverage Studies,The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

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Wine Class: Pinot Paradise
Location: The Culinary Institute of America at Copia – 500 1st Street Napa, CA 94559
Friday, March 18, 2016 – Time: 10:00am – 11:30am

Fuel your passion for Pinot Noir with this unique tasting of sophisticated wines made with fruit grown in Carneros and other special sites in Napa Valley. Food pairing suggestions from chefs, sommeliers, and much more!

Jon Priest, Winemaker, Etude Wines, Carneros
Steve Rogstad, Winemaker, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Carneros
David Mahaffey, Winemaker, Miss Olivia Brion Wines, Wild Horse Valley
Alez Beloz, Winemaker, Poseidon Vineyard, Carneros
Amelia Ceja, Ceja Vineyards, Carneros
Moderator: Christie Default, Professor, Wine and Beverage Studies, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

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Terroir to Table: Appellation Exploration at HALL Wines
Location: HALL Wines St. Helena – 401 Saint Helena Highway Saint Helena, CA 94574 
Friday, March 18, 2016 – Time: 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Led by acclaimed winemaker, Steve Leveque, Flavor guests are invited to join HALL Wines for an unparalleled opportunity experiencing the quality and diversity of Napa Valley’s distinct appellations. This is a one-of-a-kind wine tasting of HALL’s most limited-production wines showcasing the impact of terroir, climate and elevation. Everything other than appellation is constant – the vintage, winemaking team, winemaking approach, technology in the vineyard and cellar all remain the same. This tasting proves just that. All wines served are carefully paired with seasonal bites with one of HALL’s Chefs providing insight into why the wines pair well with the dish. With a portfolio of outstanding wines from thirteen of the sixteen Napa Valley appellations, HALL is uniquely positioned to offer this experience to guests ranging from novice wine drinkers to experts and critics. All guests will come away with a special giveaway. Guests will experience luxury at its finest with HALL’s unique Appellation Exploration event.

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Wine Class: Preservation Society
Location: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 2555 Main Street St. Helena, CA 94574
Friday, March 18, 2016 –  Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Food-WineBefore Cabernet Sauvignon became the most popular grape in the Napa Valley, most of the full-bodied red wines were made with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Charbono and other legendary grape varietals referred to as “mixed blacks.” Come find out what the proprietors of Biale Vineyard, Hendry Vineyards, Turley Cellars and other boutique producers are doing to preserve these special old vineyard sites.

Participants include:
Robert Biale, Proprietor, Robert Biale Winery: Aldo’s Vineyard
Tegan Passalacqua, Winemaker, Turley Wine Cellars, Hayne’s Vineyard, Mike Hendry, Proprietor, Hendry Winery: R.W. Moore Vineyard, Russell Bevan, Winemaker, Chase Cellars: Hayne’s Vineyard, Genevieve Janssens, Robert Mondavi Winery: To Kalon Vineyard

Moderator: Christopher Sawyer, Sommelier, Wine Educator, Journalist

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Wine Class: Aromatic White Wines for Spring

Location: The Culinary Institute of America at Copia – 500 1st Street Napa, CA 94559
Friday, March 18, 2016 –
Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Love refreshing wines with aromatic aromas? Or simply looking for a crisp alternative to Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc? Then check out the new delicate styles of white wine from Napa Valley that are becoming very fashionable to pair with so many styles of fine cuisine.

Participants include:
Mike Chelini, Winemaker, Stony Hill Vineyard, Spring Mountain
Jeff Virnig, Winemaker, Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Carneros
Francis Mahoney, Mahoney Vineyards, Carneros
Ry Richards, Chappellet Winery, Pritchard Hill
Craig Becker, Priest Ranch/Somerston Estate, Napa Valley
Moderator: Robert Bath, Master Sommelier & Professor, Wine and Beverage Studies, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

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Wine Class: Forward Thinking, The Young Stars of Napa Valley
Location: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 2555 Main Street St. Helena, CA 94574 
Saturday, March 19, 2016 –  Time: 10:00am – 11:30am

Meet the next generation of talented winemakers in Napa Valley. Find out the new wine trends they are applying to their family vineyards, discover the intriguing grape varietals they are working with, and taste the signature styles of wines which set them apart from the rest!

Participants include:
Alan Viader, Viader Vineyards & Winery
Judd Finkelstein, Judd’s Hill
Alex Llamas, Winemaker, Llamos Winery
Joe Harden, Robert Mondavi Winery
Patrick Foley, Foley Johnson Winery

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Terroir to Table: St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery Aromatherapy with a Corkscrew
Location: St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery – 8440 Saint Helena Highway Rutherford, CA 94573 
Saturday, March 19, 2016 – Time: 10:00am – 11:30am

Explore wine aromas suggestive of fruit character, barrel aging and terroir while tasting four estate grown St. Supéry wines. Exercise your sense of smell through a series of aroma identifications designed for you to discover how your personal sensory memory impacts how you recognize aromas. This interactive sommelier-led experience includes a mystery wine game and ultimately guides guests to develop a savvy for identifying more aromas in their glass which heightens the enjoyment of wine. This is a fantastic way to begin your visit to Napa Valley.

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Wine Class: High Elevation Wines, Part 1 – Eastside
Location: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone – 2555 Main Street Saint Helena, CA 94574
Saturday, March 19, 2016 – Time: 10:00am – 11:30am

Join us for this detailed exploration of complex wines made with grapes grown on high elevation sites in the rugged eastern hills of the Napa Valley.

Participants Include:
Remi Cohen, President, Poetry Wines/Cliff Lede Vineyards: Stags Leap District
Glenn Salva, Antica Napa Valley, Atlas Peak
Gillian Balance, Beringer/Treasury Wine Estates
Tina Mitchell, Palmaz Vineyards, Combsville
Mia Klein, Cimarosso, Howell Mountain

Moderator: Christopher Sawyer, Sommelier and Founder of SawyerSomm.com

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Wine Class: High Elevation Wines, Part 2 – Westside

Location: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 2555 Main Street St. Helena, CA 94574
Saturday, March 19, 2016 –  Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm

wineExplore flavorful selections of wines made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and other special varietals used to create limited release wines and proprietary blends from hidden sites on the Mayacamas Range overlooking Napa Valley.

Participants include:
Hugh Davies, Proprietor, J Davies/Schramsberg, Diamond Mountain
Christopher Howell, Winegrower/GM, Cain Winery & Vineyard, Spring Mountain
Stuart Smith, Winemaker, Smith Madrone Vineyards & Winery, Spring Mountain
Mariano Navarro, Viticulturalist, Mt. Brave/Lokoya Wines, Mt Veeder
Jay Turnipseed, Mount Veeder Winery, Mt. Veeder
Moderator: Christopher Sawyer, Sommelier and Founder of SawyerSomm.com

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Wine Class: Exploring the Rhone Zone
Location: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone – 2555 Main Street Saint Helena, CA 94574
Saturday, March 19, 2016 – Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm

From aromatic white wines and elegant red blends, to bold and spicy vineyard designates, taste and discover why many talented winemakers in Napa Valley are working with grape varietals that were originally made famous in the Rhone Valley of France and other special regions around the globe.

Participants include:
David Miner, Proprietor, Miner Family Winery
Joanne Wings, Stags’ Leap Winery
Carolyn Meridith, Proprietor, Lagier Meredith Vineyard
Ashley Hepworth, Winemaker, Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Jeff Cohn, Jeff Cohn Cellars

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Bubbly Sensations: Exploring the Top Sparkling Wines of Napa Valley

Location: The Meritage Resort and Spa – 875 Bordeaux Way Napa, CA 94558
Saturday, March 19, 2016 –  Time: 9:30am – 11am

wine2Start your Sunday off in style by tasting through the top sparkling wines of Napa Valley! Find out where the grapes are grown and how the winemakers create levels of flavor and complexity that make their sparkling gems so special. Bubbles and knowledge in every sip!

Participating Wineries:
Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, Mumm Napa, Schramsberg

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