Do you love taking a cooking and wine class while traveling? Wouldn’t it be great to do it in Napa, which is well renowned for its culinary arts? No matter what your cooking skill level is, I have just the place for you. It is the Culinary Institute of America, known as The CIA at Copia. This is a place where you can exercise your thirst (literally) to learn more about cooking and wine.

The CIA at Copia is located near the heart of downtown Napa. It is an easy and quick five to ten minute drive from the downtown hotels.
Location: 500 1st St, Napa, CA 94559

There are many options for classes at the CIA at Copia! They offer more than just cooking classes, such as:

• Interactive Demonstrations
• Hands-On Cooking & Baking Classes
• Understanding wine and beverages
• Chef presentations and demonstrations
• Wine tasting classes
• Private classes

You can make a reservation at: The CIA at COPIA Classes

I was invited to take a cooking class with fellow travel influencers. I was really excited by this opportunity as I had heard from others that this would be really special.

I would like to share my cooking journey with you and walk you through with pictures and descriptions of how enjoyable this was.

Let’s start at the beginning…

When you arrive, the first thing you will notice is at the entrance there is an enormous fork sculpture. This piece of art is stunning as it glistens against the sky. The Fork is from local artist Gordon Huetherand is made from recycled forks. It is the perfect piece of art to highlight what is about to happen.

When I first entered the kitchen, I was impressed! The equipment and tools provided for the class were top-notch. This will surely please any of you who are at an advanced level of culinary skills. I would consider myself at a beginning level, but I am always willing and eager to learn.

We were introduced to Chef Hilary Sullivan. I was immediately pulled into her lovely personality. She quickly set the stage for a relaxed and pleasurable class. We were all about to learn some new skills from a pro.

When starting the class, we were given an introduction to the course and our menu. There is a handout that provides a description of the menu. The recipes for each dish are in the hand-out as well, so that you can take this home and practice what you learned.

Several skills are taught as we began our class.

For example, we learned how to understand the recipe, the ingredients, how to measure, using your cooking space, knowing the safety rules, etc.

The safety tips are especially important when utilizing the cutlery. As the tools offered were high quality, we were given special instructions on how to best utilize them.

General guidelines for cooking essentials were taught. We were given an understanding of the ingredients we were going to be using and how important the selection of fresh seasonal vegetables is to the menu. Each of us had the opportunity to fully participate in the “hands-on” class.

The Chef and her assistants created a congenial atmosphere. We were learning, but at the same time, it felt like we were in our home kitchen with family and friends. As our dishes started to come to life, we were all feeling a sense of pride that we’re creating an exceptional meal.

After we prepared the meal, the table was set beautifully so that we could sit and enjoy the fruits of our labors. We were then instructed about the wines that were being paired with the meal.

Then the very best part…the dinner! All of us were in a festive mood and feeling quite accomplished for becoming Chef’s for an evening.

Final Thoughts:

I cannot express how much joy I had in taking this class. With a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, the hands-on instructions, and the exceptional teachers, it was an experience that I plan to repeat.

Along with classes, there is so much more offered here:

• Restaurant – The Restaurant at CIA Copia offers seasonally-inspired dishes paired with a curated selection of wines, beers, and handcrafted cocktails. You are able to interact with chefs in the beautiful open kitchen. The restaurant is a contemporary minimalistic design and offers a comfortable atmosphere.

• Store – Offers kitchen, home, and garden items.

• Art Exhibits – There are several art exhibits scattered throughout the building. This includes The Wine Hall of Fame, Gordon Huether statue installations, the Gutenstein Family Decanter Collection, and more.

• Public Events – The CIA At Copia hosts several community events. Click here to check out the calendar: The CIA At Copia Calendar of Events

• Private Events – Private events are available as well.

🌟 For Always5Star recommends in Downtown Napa:

Hyatt Andaz Napa – A Luxury Stay in Downton Napa

Compline Wine Bar, Restaurant, and Merchant – An Exciting New Wine Bar In Downtown Napa

🌟 For more information about this and more to do in Downtown Napa

Downtown Napa (DoNapa)

Cheers to you experiencing this fabulous cooking class!

This is an Always5Star experience! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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🌟 Please note: This was a sponsored opportunity to experience at The CIA at Copia. However, my opinions expressed are my own. I was not compensated for writing this article or endorsing the classes.

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