CIA at Greystone hosts a harvest symposium on farm-to-table careers

Executive chefs, master sommeliers, and agricultural educators at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (CIA) at 2555 Main Street in St. Helena are hosting a late-October series of autumn harvest workshops, regenerative farming panels, and hospitality workforce roundtables as the 2026 Napa Valley winegrape crush transitions into olive-milling and cellar-aging season. Held inside the landmark 1889 hand-cut volcanic stone barrel hall along Highway 29, the October 2026 symposium connects culinary degree candidates with restaurant proprietors across St. Helena, Yountville, Calistoga, and Downtown Napa.

In collaboration with the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce, Napa County Farm Bureau growers, and regional workforce development boards, this autumn's curriculum places heavy emphasis on zero-waste kitchen operations, drought-tolerant heirloom vegetable cultivation from the CIA's own Napa Valley farm plots, and pairing lower-alcohol cool-climate wines with plant-forward seasonal menus. Hospitality employers noted that structured paid externships and local housing stipends are helping Upvalley restaurants retain skilled line cooks, pastry chefs, and certified sommeliers year-round.

For Napa County residents and autumn visitors traveling along Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, the Greystone campus offers daily public access to the student-staffed Gatehouse Restaurant, the Bakery Café by Illy, and the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum, which houses more than 4,000 historic French copper cookware pieces, vintage wine presses, and baking instruments.

Public weekend culinary boot camps, olive-oil tasting seminars, and Gatehouse Restaurant dinner reservations continue throughout November and December. Guests can view seasonal menus, register for hands-on cooking classes, or explore degree programs online at ciachef.edu/cia-california or by calling (707) 967-1100.