Members, Guests Visit Copia Center in Napa Valley

By Chris Swann
NABE Board Member
Economist
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

Three dozen NABE members and our guests boarded a tour bus following the annual meeting and headed for Napa Valley.  Our destination was Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts.  For a warm up, we were served small tastings from other parts of California, including a Palmina Pinot Grigio from Santa Barbara and a Chateau Felice Zinfandel from Chalk Hill in Sonoma County on the bus. 

Upon arrival, we were escorted to one of the many Copia gardens and greeted with a glass of sparkling Mumm’s (Napa).  After a brief stroll among the olive trees, flowers, vegetables, and herbs, we entered a classroom setting; except in this classroom, instead of pencils and paper, the students were given a glass of Napa Chardonnay and a glass of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon to help the lecture along.  The instructor, Kevin Toomajian, guided the class through a brief history of winemaking in the Valley, an overview to the geology and weather conditions that make Napa different from its sister winegrowing regions, and, of course, an orientation to the tasting of the wine itself.

For the finale, we were ushered into Julia’s Kitchen, the centerpiece for fine dining at Copia, featuring the fruits and vegetables grown in the Copia gardens.  We were seated at tables on risers, much like a TV kitchen/dining arrangement.  Chef Kelly Macdonald, also the head chef on the Napa Wine Train, described each dish as he prepared it, from the grilled scallops appetizer, to the filet mignon and garden vegetables, and through the dessert of crème brulee with fresh berries.  Each course was paired with a Napa wine, including a Rombauer Chardonnay, a ZD Pinot Noir, and a Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, but we were encouraged to explore our own wine and food tastes.

All in all, it was an enjoyable day trip that capped off a superb conference.