Food and Wine Enthusiasts Classes
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Winemakers' Tasting Group Full 3-Class Series
Saturday Feb 09, 2019 - Apr 23, 20195:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Bryan Avila
An award-winning boutique winemaker and professor of enology and winemaking in the Viticulture and Winery Technology programs at Napa Valley College and Santa Rosa Junior College, Bryan Avila joins the Upper Valley Campus’ Wine Enthusiast program this spring. With more than 18 years of experience as a winemaker and educator, Bryan has a deep appreciation for the complexity of both winemaking and people. A native of San Diego and US Marine Corps veteran, Bryan completed his Bachelor of Science at UC Davis and is currently the consulting winemaker for Pope Valley Winery and winemaker for RD Winery in Napa. His many years of professional wine tasting experience include serving as a regular judge for the Annual Cal Wine Expo, Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition, Tierra del Vino Wine Competition (Baja, Mexico), and the SF Chronicle Wine Competition.
PLEASE NOTE NEW DATES/TIME. Led by winemaker and Napa Valley based enology professor Bryan Avila, this wine tasting class is intended for winemakers and technical wine tasters looking to avoid the dreaded "House Palate". This advanced tasting forum is geared to refine and maintain sensory analytical skills amongst vintners, winemakers and technical staff in a judgment-free environment. Focusing on flavor development through vinification technique, tasters will share notes on 8-10 wines of varying topics. Bring your favorite 4 tasting glasses to explore timely winetasting topics. February 19: Sustainable and Organic Wines of the North Coast. March 12: Hidden Jewels & Wine Club Wines of the Napa Valley. April 23: Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Styles of the Napa Valley. Open only to students 21 years or older. Space is limited to 15 students maximum for each meeting so Pre-Registration is REQUIRED the Monday before each class meeting. Sign up for the series or specific single class meetings. PLEASE NOTE NEW DATES/TIME.
Demonstration Tasting - Cost: $150 - #74861 - (Register Online) Winemakers' Tasting Group: Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Styles of the Napa Valley
Tuesday Apr 23, 2019
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Bryan Avila
An award-winning boutique winemaker and professor of enology and winemaking in the Viticulture and Winery Technology programs at Napa Valley College and Santa Rosa Junior College, Bryan Avila joins the Upper Valley Campus’ Wine Enthusiast program this spring. With more than 18 years of experience as a winemaker and educator, Bryan has a deep appreciation for the complexity of both winemaking and people. A native of San Diego and US Marine Corps veteran, Bryan completed his Bachelor of Science at UC Davis and is currently the consulting winemaker for Pope Valley Winery and winemaker for RD Winery in Napa. His many years of professional wine tasting experience include serving as a regular judge for the Annual Cal Wine Expo, Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition, Tierra del Vino Wine Competition (Baja, Mexico), and the SF Chronicle Wine Competition.
PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE/TIME. Led by winemaker and Napa Valley based enology professor Bryan Avila, this wine tasting class is intended for winemakers and technical wine tasters looking to avoid the dreaded "House Palate". This advanced tasting forum is geared to refine and maintain sensory analytical skills amongst vintners, winemakers and technical staff in a judgment-free environment. Focusing on flavor development through vinification technique, tasters will share notes on 8-10 wines of varying topics. Bring your favorite 4 tasting glasses. Open only to students 21 years or older. Space is limited to 15 students maximum for each meeting so Pre-Registration is REQUIRED the Monday before each class meeting. Sign up for the series or specific single class meetings. PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE/TIME.
Demonstration Tasting - Cost: $50 - #74864 - (Register Online) Healthy Cooking at Home
Saturday Apr 27, 2019
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Chef Savanna Duchala
After completing her Associates degree from the CIA (Greystone) in St. Helena, Chef Savanna worked at Peju Province Winery in Rutherford as Estate Sous Chef, where she mastered the art of food and wine pairing through a variety of vineyard events and on-site cooking classes. A dedication to both the culinary arts and public service lead her to teach at CIA Copia and the Napa Valley Cooking School, combining her real world culinary experience at Elaine Bell Catering and Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro with her eight years of service in the US Air Force.
Face it, we live in a world dominated by fried Twinkies and burger eating contests and we often don't have much time to focus on whether our diet is our friend or foe. Within our busy, over-calendared lives it's hard to find the time to make and eat healthy meals together. Chef Savanna has the solution! Come spend an evening with her and learn the ins and outs of healthy cooking as a DATE NIGHT! Learn some tricks of the trade from an experienced culinary pro and spend a fun evening together with your significant other. You'll leave with a firm foundation of healthwise culinary knowledge that you can apply at home to make easy, flavorful, and healthy dishes every night. Pre-registration required by April 22.
Hands On - Cost: $85 - #74717 - (Register Online) Next Generation Cake Decorating 2.0
Saturday Apr 27, 2019
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Chef Derek Corsino
Pastry Chef Derek Corsino has been involved in the culinary arts for over 20 years as an educator, competitive baker, and professional pastry chef. After his formal training at the CIA in Hyde Park, Chef Derek opened a specialty cake company while also competing in televised cake competitions on the Food Network. Chef Derek has taught at Stratford University in Virginia, CIA at Copia, and Santa Rosa Junior College. He currently leads the noted culinary arts program at Healdsburg High School.
Ready to move beyond basic layer cakes? Building on our Cake Decorating 101 class (on April 6), this more advanced pastry class, led by Pastry Chef Derek Corsino, is the next step for any baker ready for the exciting challenges of modern layer cake decorating. Focusing on cutting-edge cake decorating trends, we will work with a drip cake and lots of fun decor, combining math, science, and the pastry arts to help you produce your very own Instagram-worthy works of baked deliciousness! Pre-registration required by April 22. Class size limited.
Hands On - Cost: $110 - #74699 - (Register Online) Winemaker Spotlight: Rebekah Wineburg of Quintessa
Thursday May 02, 2019
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Bryan Avila
An award-winning boutique winemaker and professor of enology and winemaking in the Viticulture and Winery Technology programs at Napa Valley College and Santa Rosa Junior College, Bryan Avila joins the Upper Valley Campus’ Wine Enthusiast program this spring. With more than 18 years of experience as a winemaker and educator, Bryan has a deep appreciation for the complexity of both winemaking and people. A native of San Diego and US Marine Corps veteran, Bryan completed his Bachelor of Science at UC Davis and is currently the consulting winemaker for Pope Valley Winery and winemaker for RD Winery in Napa. His many years of professional wine tasting experience include serving as a regular judge for the Annual Cal Wine Expo, Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition, Tierra del Vino Wine Competition (Baja, Mexico), and the SF Chronicle Wine Competition.
Join us for an intimate conversation with Rebekah Wineburg of Quintessa. A Washington, DC, native, Wineburg holds a dual degree in chemistry and biology from Macalester College and a Master of Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis. Her dedication to the art and craft of winemaking has taken her from Australia, Italy and back to the Napa Valley where she has worked in enology and winemaking at Rudd Winery, Staglin Family Vineyard, and Buccella. Led by the Napa Valley Cooking School's Wine Enthusiast Coordinator Bryan Avila as he discusses wine style and the road to becoming a winemaker, each semester's Winemaker Spotlight is as much an educational exchange as a professional development opportunity where participants can connect with others active in the winemaking communities of the Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. Pre-registration requested (but not required).
Hands On - Cost: $25 - #74754 - (Register Online) Rolled, Stuffed, and Devoured
Saturday May 18, 2019
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Chef Elena Sirignano
With over 25 years in the industry as a chef, sommelier, culinary instructor, bean-to-bar chocolate maker, manager, and specialty foods entrepreneur on both the East Coast and in the Napa Valley, Chef Elena Sirignano brings passion, knowledge, and experience to the NV Cooking School. Her early training began in her hometown of New York City at the Yale Club upon completion of her Associates Degree in Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Hyde Park. This provided her with a solid foundation in both hospitality and fine dining which then lead her west to California. She has been part of the restaurant scene within the Napa Valley since 1992, where she has worked with Thomas Keller as a member of the original French Laundry Kitchen Team and serving in both front and back of the house operations at Bistro Don Giovanni, Pat Kuleto’s Martini House, Bouchon, and Bouchon Bakery. An experienced culinary instructor, Chef Elena taught International Cuisine, Garde Manger, American Regional, Foundations, and Dining Room Management at Delaware Technical & Community College (2006-2012) as well as a variety of food enthusiast classes at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Greystone and COPIA (2012-2018). She is the founder/owner of Mayacama Chocolate, familiar to many from local farmer’s markets. She is finishing a Bachelors degree in Business Management/Finance from Wilmington (Delaware) University.
Love street food from across the globe but can't find out how to make them in your own kitchen? Looking to add some easy to prepare variety to your mid-week dinner repertoire? This hands-on cooking class, with Chef Elena Sirignano, is a fun approach to delicious portable international foods that you'll want to dive into eating almost as soon as you make them. From Japanese Hand Rolls to Cornish Pasty and onto Crepes, this class will expand your favorites and give you some new dishes for brunch, light dinners, and parties. Generous samplings of all dishes prepared will conclude today's gastronomic exploration. Pre-registration required by May 13.
Hands On - Cost: $85 - #74619 - (Register Online)
