After two decades at the Napa fairgrounds, the 21st annual Wine Festival, a fundraiser for the Napa Valley Unified Education Foundation, moves to new digs Nov. 5. The 21st annual event will be held at Copia, the American Center for Wine Food and Arts, at 500 First St.

It will retain its past theme, "A Taste for Knowledge," according to co-chair Cornel Baila, a past chairman of the nonprofit organization.

Event hours are 5:30 to 9 p.m.

One reason for the change of venue, Baila said, is that the festival is closely tied to the wine industry, and Copia is wine-oriented. "Wineries have been so generous," he said.

Nearly 40 Napa Valley wineries are participating in this year's festival, donating premium wines for live and silent auctions and tastings.

"You really get your money's worth, and it is a good cause," he said.

In addition to a silent auction and wine tasting, the festival will feature live music. Napa High School's 10-member Vocal Music Workshop, directed by Jamie Butler, will perform at 5:30 p.m. Guitarist Doug Houser will entertain from 6 to 9 p.m. This will be Houser's third year at the festival. "The price ($40 in advance or $50 at the door) is more than reasonable," Baila said. "(Proceeds) help a ton of good causes. Come out and have fun."

The Foundation provides teachers with mini grants for classroom purchases not available through the school budget. Over the years these grants have helped teachers buy a laptop computers, projectors, library books, meteorology stations and microscopes.

They have also helped schools with enrichment programs by allowing teachers to purchase musical instruments and other tools. Baila said the foundation has also helped with basics for English as a second language instruction and programs for students at-risk.

"There's so much in the way of funding needs," he said.

Since it formed in 1983, the foundation has invested more than $1 million in local public schools.

Funds raised also help with other foundation projects, including a student leadership conference, scholarships, a musical instrument rental program, the "Apple for a Teacher" recognition program and major grants.

American Canyon Middle School vice principal Greg Wright took the photo that adorns the 2005 festival poster.

The picture, taken in the golden light of dawn at the Muir-Hanna vineyards north of Napa, shows dew droplets on young vines, a mist of fog and vineyard smudge-pot smoke in the background and oak trees silhouetted against the hills.

"When I first saw it on my computer screen, I thought, 'this is a winner,'" the veteran educator said.

He took the picture with his Fuji S-2, a professional digital camera, steadied with a tripod. It was one of about 30 he shot during the five minutes the lighting lasted. "It gave a unique cast to the sky," he said. "Like a sepia tone."

The photo is one of several he has on display at the Artists of the Valley gallery in St. Helena.

The award-winning photographer has been an educator for the past 32 years, and said he is looking forward to retiring in June "and doing photography full time."

He and his wife, Roberta, own Wright's Photography. He is a member of the Professional Photographers of America and California, and is working on a master photographer degree in photography.

Major sponsors for the wine festival include Morgan Stanley, Sutter Home Family Vineyards, Vallerga's Markets, Bell Products and Santen.

Tickets for the Wine Festival may be purchased at the Vintage Bank, Napa Schools Federal Credit Union, or by phoning the Foundation at 253-3563 or 253-3511.