Napa city has two serious cooking-class operations: the CIA at Copia (Culinary Institute of America's Napa campus at 500 First Street) and Playte Kitchen on Main Street. The CIA's public programme includes hands-on classes in everything from pasta-making to pastry to wine-pairing, taught by CIA instructors in professional kitchens. Playte runs a more intimate format with smaller groups and a focus on Italian and California home-cooking technique.
CIA at Copia: America's Culinary University in Your Kitchen
The CIA opened its fourth campus in Napa in 2016, taking over the former Copia food and wine centre on First Street. The public programme is the most significant culinary education resource in the North Bay: classes range from 90-minute pasta demonstrations to full-day immersion workshops in bread, pastry, cheese-making and wine-pairing. The campus is a five-minute walk from the Oxbow Public Market.
Classes worth booking
Culinary Education
oxbow
The Culinary Institute of America's Napa campus runs public cooking classes taught by CIA instructors in professional teaching kitchens. The programme ranges from 90-minute demonstrations to full-day workshops in pasta, bread, pastry, charcuterie and wine-pairing. It is the most comprehensive culinary education public programme in the North Bay.
Culinary Education
downtown
Playte Kitchen is Napa's intimate cooking-class operation for small groups, running Italian and California home-cooking technique sessions in a kitchen that feels like a private dinner party rather than a school. The format is participatory: everyone cooks, then everyone eats what they made, with wine from the valley.
Book cooking classes in Napa
Day trip · 8 hours
Enjoy an exclusive, private wine tour to Napa and Sonoma wine country from Marin, Sonoma, Napa, or San Francisco. Customize your itinerary to fit the needs of your gro...
8 hours
Enjoy a private 6-hour wine tasting tour in Napa Valley with a professional chauffeur. Visit the top-name wineries you’ve read about, or let us recommend favorite loca...
6 hours
Experience the finest of Napa Valley on a private winery tour. Enjoy a seamless journey with complimentary sparkling wine as you travel between estates.
See all 80 bookable experiences in Napa
Frequently asked: cooking classes in Napa
Can the public take cooking classes at the CIA in Napa?
Yes. The CIA at Copia runs a public events and class programme open to visitors. Classes range from $50 to $250+ depending on format and duration. The full schedule is on the CIA at Copia website and changes monthly.
What cooking classes are available in Napa city?
CIA at Copia offers the widest programme: hands-on pasta, pastry, bread and wine-pairing classes. Playte Kitchen offers more intimate group cooking in a home-kitchen format. Both are walk-in friendly for booking but advance booking is strongly recommended.