Flavor! Napa Valley

My husband and I truly enjoy attending this wonderful event!!! My husband is a professional chef, so food is his passion. I love to bake, and because my husband is passionate about food, so am I. We love watching the demos, touring the CIA facility, picking up things in the bookstore, participating in events, and meeting the chefs!
This is a great event for anyone who’s interested in wine, cheese, good food, baking, and/​or fun! This year, I attended a cake decorating session with Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes. The event was held at Beringer VIneyards in the Hudson House, which was lovely. We were able to get hands-​on assistance and guidance from Duff and his staff, and our cakes turned out great! This was my first time airbrushing a cake, and working with fondant — not my favorite cake decorating item, but it was so much fun; I even had my cake box autographed by him. :-)
Next, I headed to CIA to watch an Iron Chef Morimoto demonstration. Last year, we watched him break down a monkfish and create 5 spectacular dishes. This year, it was a yellowtail and 6 dishes! He is always entertaining and of course, the room smells terrific as he cooks! His knife skills are amazing!
The other event I attended was an interactive demo with Rocco Dispirito. He demoed the gnudi we would be making, but also made pork saltimbocca as well. He is definitely passionate about altering traditional dishes to be healthier — he was more than happy to share some of his tips and tricks for healthier eating.
I got to cook in the CIA kitchen, which was a lot of fun, too! Students were there to help anyone who needed assistance. Participants were able to enjoy 3 wines with our meal — Beringer, Stag’s Leap, and Étude. I must say, my entire table enjoyed the Beringer cabernet sauvignon the most. In fact, I bought a bottle for our Thanksgiving meal this past weekend!
The gnudi was tasty, the saltimbocca was great, and we had a dessert as well. It was a great experience — Rocco made a point of going around in the kitchen when we were cooking and checking up on everyone, as well as visiting every table during the meal. I bought his book and got it signed afterwards — picked one up for my boss, as well!
I would have loved to attend a few more events, but scheduling conflicts prevented it, and a couple of the events sold out quickly.
I highly recommend attending this event if you’re in the business or if you’re just interested!!! It’s a lot of fun, the scenery is beautiful, and you’ll have a great time!!!

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The 3^rd annual Flavor! Napa Valley will be held November 20 – 24, 2013 at the Silverado Resort and Spa, and The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Meritage Resort and Spa, Beringer Vineyards, and many other locations throughout the beautiful Napa Valley.
I got the chance to attend this year and what was an amazing food and wine event. The best in America if you are a wine lover. You are in treat for the best of the best.
A TASTING TO HONOR THE LIFE OF ROBERT MONDAVI — WINE TASTING WITH WINEMAKER GENEVIEVE JANSSENS — Moderator Peter Marks. Iconic vintner Robert Mondavi was an inspirational advocate for the Napa Valley, building the first winery after Prohibition and quickly producing wines that stand in the company of the world’s finest. In honor of his 100^th birthday, enjoy a retrospective tasting with Director of Winemaking Genevieve Janssens, who will unlock Robert Mondavi Winery’s treasured library of older vintages to showcase more than forty years of unparalleled winemaking history. We got to taste 1976 JUDGEMENT OF PARIS Cabernet Sauvignon that won the blind tasting that year. 2 bottles of Château Margeaux 1995 and 2006, I was SPOILED.
TOP TASTERTM BLIND WINE TASTING COMPETITION — Host: Andrea Robinson
Panelists: Gillian Ballance, Bob Bath, Alder Yarrow and 10 Master Sommeliers around the US. I wrote this event so much, I got 5 wines out of 6, so much fun, so much to learn, and the beautiful resort Meritage.
THE APPELLATION TRAIL: TASTING NAPA VALLEY — Take a journey to the epicenter of abundant Napa Valley as you taste wines from its 16 sub-​appellations at this grandest of Grand Tastings. Gather your friends for an indulgent night of sipping and feasting from nearly 100 wineries and 25 restaurants — all under one roof of the majestic Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Throughout the evening, you’ll be saying hello to the winemakers and chefs who make Napa Valley the premier wine and food destination in America. And you’ll discover how the various terroirs and micro-​climates of the region make each Cabernet – along with other varietals – unique expressions of where they were grown.
Over 100 wineries and 25 restaurants participated in this event. We had so much fun, so much wines, so much food, so many awesome chefs, so little time!
ABOUT: Flavor! Napa Valley® Celebration of Wine, Food & Fun is an annual event that features world-​class Napa Valley wines alongside the Napa Valley’s master chefs and graduates of The Culinary Institute of America’s culinary education programs. Net proceeds from the event support programs and scholarships at The Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Campus in St. Helena, CA.
The event is hosted by founding sponsors Silverado Resort and Spa and Dolce Hotels in partnership with
, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and the Napa Valley Vintners, and is produced by Karlitz & Company.
DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT NEXT YEAR IF YOU ARE TRULY NAPA VALLEY WINE LOVERS!