Women working inside the Robert Mondavi Institute.

Winery expansion will take viticulture and enology to the next level

The Challenge

For decades, UC Davis has brought breakthroughs and innovation to California’s world-class wine industry with cutting-edge research, teaching and outreach. We are uniquely positioned to pioneer new advances in grape growing, control of plant pathogens, water capture and reuse, carbon dioxide capture, alternative energy sources and wine making technologies. An expansion of our facilities will greatly enhance our ability to increase our research capacity, develop sustainable best practices and prepare the next generation of wine makers and viticulturists.

The Solution

Our alumni are the top executives, vintners, viticulturists and winemakers who are responsible for producing over 50% of the wine consumed each year in the United States. To meet the needs for a $58 billion dollar industry, taking our viticulture and enology program to the next level is critical. We must address the urgent need for a lecture hall in proximity to our facilities, moving teaching laboratories adjacent to the winery and vineyard, and increasing fermentation capacity with a major building expansion.

The Philanthropic Opportunity

Phase one focuses on building a state-of-the-art lecture hall to provide a much-needed new home for our core viticulture and enology classes and industry outreach events. Proximity to winery facilities will increase course quality by adding a new dimension to experiential learning.

Phase two focuses on updating our teaching laboratories by moving them to a new space adjacent to the vineyard, winery and lecture hall. This will give students more hands-on experience and provide for more research on industry problems.

Phase three adds an additional 6,000 square feet to the main hall where fermentation currently takes place. Expansion enables us to accommodate all 142 of our technologically advanced fermentors, thus increasing opportunities to showcase new ideas and to safely teach students practical wine-making skills.

UC Davis is committed to providing cutting-edge facilities to give faculty, students and professionals the chance to advance the California wine industry.

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Looking for more information?

Please contact Assistant Dean of Development and External Relations Annie Roeser at (530) 752-2952 or aroeser@ucdavis.edu to learn more about this college priority.