COPIA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts is a cultural museum and education center dedicated to the discovery, understanding, and celebration of wine, food and the arts in American culture. COPIA is located in the Napa Valley in the town of Napa, California.

1 Summary
2 History
3 Facilities
4 Notable people
5 External links

[edit] Summary

COPIA is a non-profit discovery center whose mission is to explore, celebrate and share the many pleasures and benefits of wine, its relationship to food and its significance to our culture. Located in the heart of Napa Valley, COPIA is the premier wine country destination – offering visitors exceptional wine- and food-tasting programs, exhibitions, organic edible gardens, films, concerts, fine and casual dining, shopping and more! Proceeds from ticket sales, membership and donations support COPIA’s educational programs and exhibitions.

[edit] History

In 1988, vintner Robert Mondavi, his wife Margrit Biever Mondavi and other leaders in the wine community began to explore the idea of establishing a small institution to educate, promote and celebrate American excellence and achievements in the culinary, winemaking and visual arts arenas.

Partner organizations–the University of California at Davis, the Cornell University School of Restaurant and Hotel Administration, and the American Institute of Wine & Food–joined forces to develop the idea into a major not-for-profit cultural institution. In 1996, Robert Mondavi acquired the land for COPIA, followed by a lead gift of $20-million. Subsequently, the “Founding Seventy,” key supporters from Napa Valley and the surrounding Bay Area made substantial donations. COPIA has since received national and international support.

[edit] Facilities

COPIA includes 13,000 square feet of gallery space for long-term and changing exhibitions of art, culinary history and science; a 260 raked-seat theater for films and lectures; a rare-books library; classrooms with audio-visual capabilities; a 74-seat demonstration kitchen forum; a gourmet dining room named for honorary trustee Julia Child, which features a dramatic open finishing kitchen; a tasting table with an expansive selection of wines from across the United States; a 700-seat outdoor concert terrace; a café; a museum gift shop; and three and one-half acres of landscaped organic edible gardens for hands-on learning about soils, farming and viticulture. There is also ample parking in the south (161) and north (180) parking lots for a total 341 parking spaces.