North Bay Business Journal

NAPA — Just two years after receiving a significant funding boost from a tourism improvement district, tourism in the Napa Valley continues to see an upward trajectory, with a flurry of new events that attract visitors year-round while helping to further establish a regional brand, officials said Thursday.

NAPA — For the second year, a food and wine festival that boasts some of those industries’ highest-profile chefs and winemakers is aimed at attracting visitors to Napa Valley and providing an economic boost to the region during the tourism off-season.

The five-day Flavor Napa Valley festival at Silverado Resort & Spa near Napa and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena starts today.

Flavor! Napa Valley 2012 invites festival-goers to take advantage of a variety of ticket options and accommodations from some of the region’s top hotels, to create their own ultimate “stay and play” experience during the Nov. 14–18 food, wine and fun extravaganza. …

World Economic Forum announced that Enphase Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENPH) has been recognized as a 2013 Technology Pioneer. …

TerraVerde Renewable Partners, a Larkspur-based independent energy adviser that helps schools, public agencies and private companies reduce energy costs, announced that three of its large Central Valley school district clients. …

The Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, the oldest and largest in-person coach training school in the world, has published a white paper, “Co-Active Coaching and the Brain: Neuroscience Research Supports the Efficacy of the Co-Active Model.” …

Cline Cellars, a family-owned and operated winery located in the Carneros growing district of Sonoma County, has announced that for the second year, Living Beyond Breast Cancer has been named as the beneficiary of a $25,000 donation. …

Caltrans, the offices of Marin County supervisors Kate Sears and Steve Kinsey, as well as Marin Transit and the Transportation Authority of Marin staff have collaborated to install a camera to provide live images of traffic conditions on Highway 101 in southern Marin. …

The Marin County Board of Supervisors authorized a new $925,000 contract with Homeward Bound of Marin in order to provide shelter for persons experiencing homelessness throughout Marin County. …

Hospitality & Tourism column: The Thistle Dew Inn in downtown Sonoma has been purchased by new owners, who will rename the property as An Inn 2 Remember, according to Bay Area Development Company, a Walnut Creek-based SBA lender that provided the financing. …

Across California, restaurateurs, chefs and fine diners who fancy foie gras this week face a grim acknowledgement: their goose is cooked. …

Flavor Napa Valley, the star-studded food and wine festival that started last year as means of highlighting the culinary prowess of the region, will be back for a second year, organizers said. …

The Marin Convention and Visitors Bureau will be hosting a Tourism Summit on Thursday, Sept. 20, at Inn Marin in Novato from 10 a..m. to 2 p.m., with an introduction from Mark Essman on local, regional and state tourism trends presented by Visit California. …

NAPA — A star-studded, four-day wine and food festival will soon take place in the Napa Valley, marking the first time the region synonymous with fine dining and wine will hold a gathering of such significance on its own turf.

NAPA — Tourism, hospitality and restaurant industry representatives gathered Thursday at the Silverado Resort to officially kick off Flavor Napa Valley, a four-day festival that will celebrate the region’s affinity for food and wine while luring visitors during the off season.