Why do YOU visit –– food or wine?

Most visitors to Napa Valley are interested in dining on our world-class cuisine, and wine tasting is a secondary attraction. I've been saying that for years in my books, and it's no secret among those of us who live here and cover the area's tourism industry. Now the latest market research out of Napa Valley backs it up.

Results of a survey presented recently at a Napa Valley Destination Council's marketing conference revealed that 80% of potential Napa Valley visitors cited restaurants and dining as the primary reason for a visit, while far fewer –– 67% –– mentioned wine tasting. Of those same survey respondents, 63% are interested in culinary demonstrations, too.

I just completed a book about food in Napa Valley, and my own research revealed there aren't enough opportunities for cooking classes and chefs' demos in Napa Valley as there should be, given the number of visitors who apparently want this type of attraction.

At least one event taking place for the first time this fall will offer those visitors another opportunity to concentrate on our cuisine. "Flavor! Napa Valley –– A Celebration of Wine, Food & Fun" is a four-day food-centric happening scheduled for November 17-20. Most of the activities take place at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, and tickets are selling fast for the chefs' demonstrations.

The Napa Valley celebrity chefs pictured above will be the stars of the show, and some are also CIA grads. Flavor! Napa Valley is a benefit for CIA's financial aid for students, so it's for a good cause, too: the training of more world-class chefs.