No word yet on when — or if — the Copia museum in the town of Napa will re-open.
The wine and food facility, which cost nearly $80 million to build, closed late in the year, the victim of its own opulence and the struggling economy.
The non-profit center, sadly, has lived up to its designation thus far, operating as much as $4 million in the red. It has not had a single break-even year since opening in 2001, and had been open only three days per week since September.
Funded in large part by the late Robert Mondavi, Copia was envisioned as an educational and entertainment destination devoted to food and wine. The Los Angeles Times dubbed it “a monument to the good life.”
But the anticipated crowds never materialized, despite efforts to “re-program” the facility. Now, the 80,000-square-foot center is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that would enable it to restructure its considerable debt and re-open to the public.
While the news is sad, there’s no reason to cancel that trip to Napa wine country. There’s still plenty to see and do (and drink) “up valley,” where hundreds of wineries and dozens of world-class restaurants beckon.
