UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Department
In 1880, the California Legislature mandated that the University of California establish a viticulture and enology educational center.
The goal was to develop a knowledgeable workforce to form the basis of the state’s wine industry and to make California wine more approachable to consumers.
Though the program dates back 120 years, the current UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology was established in 1935. In the years after Prohibition, UC Davis helped vintners to get back on their feet by making sound wines. The priority was avoiding spoilage and contamination in the winemaking process.
Many disciplines are studied in the department’s complex curriculum. One of the department’s innovations was emphasizing communication between the vineyard and the winery. It effectively bridged the gap that had developed in California between grape growing and winemaking.
The flavor and aroma profile was another major accomplishment. UC Davis has also been a leader in researching the relationship between wine and health. Maynard Amerine and Albert Winkler were influential professors at UC Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology. Both men wrote many books and conducted significant research.
