Culinary School was a crock. Mostly fit for babysitting lost
Millies that had just gotten out of High School with no aspiration or direction.
I stuck it out because it gave me very broad exposure to a seriously large amount of knowledge. That and working full time in one of the hardest kitchens in SF at the time, sleeping 3 hours a night for about 18 mos... that's what took me beyond my peers (a few of us did that in various fine dining spots). We all rocked it.
Of course, that's also when I developed a little bit of a drinking habit. (Well, most of us did, at any rate.)
I haven't been over in Napa for a bit, Maz. Heard of that place, but no experience with it.