Food is Life celebration at Copia | Food

The awe-inspiring, three-dimensional Gaia art installation, a 23-foot-wide 3D NASA floating image of Earth by artist Luke Jerram, will float above the Jackson Family Wines Amphitheater next to the Napa River, while inside they have planned a full schedule of events around the theme, Food is Life. these include cooking demonstrations and tastings, film screenings with Q&As, music and hands-on experience for all ages.

Celebrating “all things food, beverage and sustainable,” their announcement notes, “Food is at the heart of our existence. It is fundamental to cultures and deserves to be a source of joy for all people, families, and communities. The CIA at Copia will celebrate Earth Week by unearthing the wonders and magic of our world, through the lens of food.”

The Gaia installation is free to view and no reservations are required. Food, wine, and other beverages will be available for purchase from the outdoor Live Fire Kitchen.

The amphitheater will all be the setting for a concert under the stars and Gaia with composer Clark Harding on Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m. Clark will be joined by violinists Sienna Peck and Tristan Foote, violist Frank Hernandez, and cellist Jeffrey McFarland-Johnson. The concert is free but reservations are required. Visit www.ciaatcopia.com/food-is-life-celebration/ to reserve tickets. 

Get ideas and recipes for building a plant-forward kitchen at home with hands-on cooking classes in Copia’s Teaching Kitchen during the week. These include:

• Cooking Class: Zero Foodprint at Home with Chefs Thomas McNaughton and Anthony Myint, Saturday, April 23, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thomas McNaughton, CIA ’04, is the chef and owner of flour + water, Central Kitchen, and Salumeria in San Francisco. Anthony Myint is co-founder of Zero Foodprint (James Beard Humanitarian of the Year) and the award-winning restaurateur/chef behind Mission Street Food, Mission Chinese Food, The Perennial, as well as the 2019 winner of the Basque Culinary World Prize.

Pre-registration required. The cost is $200. All proceeds from this event will go to Zero Foodprint which teams up with local farms and ranches to regenerate the land, restore the climate and grow better food.

• CIA Skills: Plant-Forward Asian Cuisine, Friday, April 29, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Explore the flavor-rich cooking styles that bring plants to the center of the plate, emphasizing fruits, veggies, and plant-based proteins. Pre-registration required. The cost is $175.

• CIA Skills: Plant-Forward Mediterranean Cuisine, Friday, April 29, and  Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.$175. 

A hands-on introduction to plant-forward Mediterranean cooking explores the flavors and recipes inspired by Provence, Southern Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and North Africa. Pre-registration is required. 

• Seasonal Cocktails from the Garden, Saturday, April 30, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $65

A hands-on mixology class features seasonal ingredients grown in our garden. You’ll learn the staples of a balanced drink and how to use what is in the season to create new and flavorful drinks. Pre-registration is required.

• “The Inn at Little Washington, a Delicious Documentary,” Film Screening, Q&A, and Reception with Chef Spike Mendelsohn, Thursday, April 28 at 5:30 p.m.

Join Mendelsohn — Top Chef competitor, restaurateur, food equity advocate, and CIA grad—for a screening of his PBS documentary,  followed by a Q&A with food and wine reception in Copia’s Teaching Kitchen and Mezzanine. Tickets are $75. 

• Food, Fun, and Phil: An Evening with Phil Rosenthal, Friday, April 29, 6 p.m.

Watch “Somebody Feed Phil” in the Ecolab Theatre at The CIA at Copia. Guest Phil Rosenthal will share stories about how he eats and makes his Netflix series. Access to the screening and Q&A are FREE, but a ticket is required for admission due to limited space.

A post-screening food and wine reception in the CIA’s Teaching Kitchen and Mezzanine is $75.

Doors open to the Ecolab Theatre at 5:30 p.m. and the screening will begin at 6 p.m. The screening and Q&A will conclude at approximately 7:30 p.m. Reception begins at the conclusion of the Q&A.

• Peace by Chocolate—Film Screening and Q&A, Saturday, April 30, 4:30–6:30 p.m.

A screening of the award-winning film, “Peace by Chocolate,” will be followed by a virtual Q&A with the film’s director, Jonathan Keijser. 

After the bombing of his father’s chocolate factory, a young Syrian refugee struggles to settle into his new small-town life, caught between following his dream and preserving his family’s legacy.

Tickets are $15 and are required for this event.

Make reservations for the events and learn more at www.ciaatcopia.com/food-is-life-celebration.