Camp Napa Culinary

July 13-18, 2008
August 3-8, 2008
September 14-19, 2008
October 5-10, 2008
October 12-17, 2008

Join us for our 17th year of these outstanding programs in beautiful Napa Valley. Hugh is your teacher for all the participation cooking classes and your host for every event throughout the week as you meet winery owners and winemakers, and gather at private estates. This year, all the recipes are based on two new cookbooks by Hugh to be published in 2008, and this year’s theme centers on visits to tiny family-run wineries acclaimed for their wines and open only by invitation.

Camp Napa is created for independent travelers wanting to combine a learning vacation with free time to pursue their own interests while in the Napa Valley. More than 1,500 food and wine lovers have attended “camps” during the last 16 years, and many are returning “graduates.” Each session is limited to 16 attendees. Take the “cure” at a luxurious spa; visit artists’ studios; explore the historic towns of Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga; or choose from Napa Valley’s fine restaurants for a romantic dinner. Join us for an opening night party at a spectacular private estate and then treat yourself to five more days in one of the great wine and food regions of the world.

Camp Napa is an “insider’s” tour to Napa Valley’s elite small wineries, great kitchens and homes. After a welcoming dinner party at a great private estate, we rendezvous for participation-cooking classes at small wineries. Then, in the early evening hours, Hugh has used his years of personal contacts in Napa Valley to arrange a unique series of events with the owners of small famous wineries, whose wineries and homes are never open to the public. As we taste their wines matched with appetizers, we’ll hear how they transformed a passion for wine into a way of life.

How to Get Here: Napa Valley is approximately 50 miles northeast of San Francisco. If you fly into San Francisco (or Oakland or Sacramento, the closest airports), we recommend you rent a car at the airport. We will provide you with hotel information and directions.

Class Itinerary

Sunday: Welcoming Reception and Dinner. This evening, Hugh and Teri host a reception and wine country dinner at a great private estate located in the hills above St. Helena. The owners have a large olive orchard and produce one of the top extra virgin olive oils from California. We’ll begin the evening by walking through the olive groves with them and learn about all aspects of producing extra virgin olive oil, as well as how to cure olives. Then, as dusk begins to fall, we’ll be seated at one long dining table positioned to overlook thousands of acres of rolling vineyards that stretch from Spring Mountain across Napa Valley. Hugh will cook a dinner featuring recipes from his new cookbook, Gather Your Friends.

Monday: Cooking Class at Cakebread Cellars, Croquet Tournament at Meadowood. This morning Hugh teaches the first of three cooking classes at Cakebread Cellars. Jack and Dolores, and their son, Bruce Cakebread, and their families are much loved in Napa Valley, and we are fortunate to be their guests at the winery. Virtually every top chef in America has cooked in their wonderful kitchen, and now you’ll have the same opportunity. Each class is full participation, utilizes recipes from Hugh’s books, and concludes with lunch hosted by the Cakebread family. The afternoon is free. In the late afternoon we meet at Napa Valley’s most luxurious retreat, Meadowood Resort, for croquet. Dressed in our “whites” and with wine in hand, we’ll negotiate one of the few championship croquet greens in America under the guidance of the Meadowood croquet pro, Jerry Stark, the top ranked American player. His magnetic personality transforms everyone into a croquet fan. The evening is free.

Tuesday: Cooking Class at Cakebread Cellars, Harris Estate Vineyards. This morning we return to Cakebread Cellars for our second participation class, aided by the winery’s talented Executive Chef Brian Streeter. We’ll pick vegetables from their bountiful garden, grill fish over a wood-burning barbecue, and prepare appetizers and dessert in the newly redesigned state-of-the-art kitchen. Then we’ll lunch in the beautiful gardens, joined by the Cakebreads. The afternoon is free. Early this evening we gather at the spectacular Harris Estate Vineyards, where we are the guests of owners Treva and Mike Harris. Founded by them in 1997, the property is nestled on 48 wooded acres on the northern slope of Calistoga’s acclaimed Diamond Mountain. Treva and Mike make several Cabernet Sauvignons that have been highly acclaimed by Robert Parker. We’ll hear their story and taste their wines in their beautiful home (designed by noted California architect Howard Backen) which overlooks the vineyards. The evening is free.

Wednesday: Fisher Vineyards. A small winery, Fisher Vineyards is located in Sonoma and was founded in 1973 by Fred and Juelle Fisher, who purchased 100 acres in the Mayacamas Mountains, over the hill from St. Helena. Fred was an executive in the automobile and banking industries, and Juelle is a mother and passionate cook. Over the years all their children have become involved in the winery. Fisher wines (cabernet, merlot, chardonnay and Syrah) have been highly praised and sought after by knowledgeable collectors. This morning we are the guests of the family as we tour the dramatic hillside vineyards and charming winery. Then, under the guidance of Hugh and Juelle, we’ll all cook together in their outdoor kitchen, with everything for the lunch, from appetizers and pizzas to roast salmon and cobblers, coming from a wood-burning pizza oven. The late afternoon and evening are free.

Thursday: Beaulieu Gardens Cooking Class, Round Pond Winery. This morning we step back in time to enjoy one of Napa Valley’s great 19th-century historic estates. In 1899 Georges de Latour founded Beaulieu Vineyards, and it quickly became known as one of Napa’s premier wineries. We gather at the secluded home, which is never open to the public, where we’ll have a participation cooking class conducted by Hugh in the beautiful country kitchen, followed by lunch and a tour of the European estate gardens. The afternoon is free. Late this afternoon, we gather at a magnificent new winery located in Rutherford, Round Pond, designed by noted California architect Sandy Walker. We’ll tour the facility, and then be led through a wine-sensory class that matches their acclaimed wines with a tasting created by the winery chef (recipes included!). The evening is free.

Friday: Ladera Winery, Cakebread Dinner Graduation. This morning we continue the theme of this year’s program by visiting the tiny family-run winery Ladera, located high in Howell Mountain. Since 2000, owners Pat and Anne Stotesbery have lovingly restored a historic “ghost winery” and now produce two great cabernets. A couple with tremendous energy and sense of fun, Pat and Anne will guide us on an interactive winemaking experience, providing us with many “ah-ha” moments about the challenges of being a wine maker and winery owner. The morning concludes with a light lunch served in the caves. The afternoon is free. This evening we gather for our final cooking class at Cakebread Cellars, our Napa Valley cooking home. Gathered around their beautiful outdoor kitchen, we’ll begin by making a few easy appetizers, and then follow with dinner. We’ll feast leisurely into the night with great foods and Cakebread wines, take farewell photographs, and reminisce about the week.

Saturday: Napa to Home. After last-minute morning adventures, those with flights depart for the airport, or you may stay on to enjoy the many other activities available in the Bay Area. We look forward to you visiting us again in Napa!