Abruptly and without warning, Copia shut its doors last Friday. After cutting back its hours and staff just a month ago, Copia was still not able to resolve its financial crisis.

Hopefully, this ia just temporary. They are in need of a "bailout".

Here's an article in the Napa Valley Register about the closing:

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/ar...f888615788.txt

$78 million in debt. That's some bailout. "Temporary" indeed.

Copia was an interesting place to visit, and under the first chef at Julia's Restaurant we had one of the best meals outside France. The extensive gardens were beautiful to stroll in, and I loved the culinary-oriented gift shop.

However, we went twice--there just wasn't enough of a concept to keep us returning.

I hadn't heard. Nothing about this even in the SF Chronicle. Well more people will be out of work at the start of the holiday season.

Hello Underhill, I agree as do most people I know. I miss the Napa Valley from way back when, imagine you do also!

Bailout... oh please, why is everyone looking for this??
People, Get your act together!!

I was so sad to hear of the closing of Copia, we enjoyed our time there and wanted to take one of the classes offered sometime. ***kim***

I am not surprised. Both my DW and I never felt it was not all that great and our time spent there was not worth it. Never did understand the point of the place

The point: to feed Robert Mondavi'a ego.

LOL MichelleY, but so true!

Wishing you and yours a beautiful Thanksgiving.

It would have killed him if Copia had closed while he was still alive, but now that the old man is gone, it probably is about time. Always though it was a potentially interesting concept in totally the wrong place. It never was very successful and was underfunded from the get go.

Losing their family wine empire perhaps didn't help him enjoy the last few years of his life. Too bad. He contributed much to the wine industry in California.

Happy Thanksgiving,

MY

absolutely true. RM and his wife were a fascinating couple IMO.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and Mr Y

OOps - how did that post, lol!

This news was neither abrupt or without warning, IMHO. Some of us were talking about it on here in September.

Troubles since it opened -
http://tinyurl.com/5jm5au

Then layoffs
http://preview.tinyurl.com/5e5ndv

Just not a particularly well thought out idea, sad...Robert Mondavi was a force in CA wine-
you had a nice lunch with him didn't you LI ?

R5

Hi Razzle, not only lunch but all afternoon at a table under a beautiful old large tree while we two enjoyed more then one bottle of his wine with some fantastic bread. Acme bread I think? His family was settled in Lodi as did my maternal German immigrant grandfather. That was a long time ago when Robert was still married to his first wife. Beautiful memories.

How wonderful, Love ! I love that story -
We got to enjoy a lunch with him and wife Margrit at the winery about 6 years ago. The lunch was put on for a few restaurant owners
and their friends -there were maybe 15 of us and included a tasting course by a Riedel glass rep.
using just about every wine glass Riedel makes, paired with Mondavi wines of course.
Just what we needed on a lovely fall afternoon

R5

I'm with you, Reisender. Never visited even thought I'm in the SF Bay area. Never quite understood why I should go, except maybe to eat at Julia's.

Betsy, me either (I'm also in the Bay Area). In fact, even after reading through this read, I really don't have any idea what Copia is (was).

Just to clarify dear Razzle, I meant to type "his family had settled in Lodi" not "was" although I am sure you understood inspite of my mistype.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and Mr. Razzle and also to you and yours MichelleY and janisj.

I hope you all have a beautiful day, good food and perhaps some lovely California wine.

Copia filed for bankruptcy on Monday.

For those interested, see these articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/dining/03copia.html

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/ar...4254481311.txt

And for more comments from locals see today's Napa Valley Register coverage:

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/ar...c353244576.txt