May 2019

Nick Jensen

FST doctoral student wins Danone national fellowship

Food Science and Technology

Congratulations are in order for Nick Jensen, a doctoral student in the Mills lab (Micro Grad Group), who just was recently a national fellowship for $25K from Danone North America.

The fellowship was designed for full-time graduate students in the United States. To be eligible, students had to be US citizens and remain in good standing with their university. 

Chik with Dusty Baker

UC Davis Winemaker Chik Brenneman Retired March 5, 2019

Viticulture and Enology

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) winemaker Charles “Chik” Brenneman retired from his position at the UC Davis Teaching and Research Winery on March 5, 2019 to pursue other winemaking opportunities and to have more time for personal interests. Brenneman joined the Department of Viticulture and Enology (V&E) as staff winemaker in 2006, when the department offices and teaching winery were still located in Wickson Hall on the UC Davis campus.

Dr. Ron Runnebaum

Course Profile: VEN 126 Wine Stability with Dr. Ron Runnebaum

Viticulture and Enology

The Wine Stability course (VEN 126) addresses the most important physical, chemical and enzymatic reactions in juices and wines as well as the theory and principles associated with adjustment of acidity, fining, stabilization for shipping and clarification of wines.  The course provides the scientific basis and a quantitative perspective of our understanding of the physical and chemical reactions in wines, besides the ethanol and malolactic fermentations.

By the completion of this class, the student should be able to:

friends at the booth

Department of Viticulture and Enology's Unified Symposium Recap

Viticulture and Enology

In January, the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology exhibited a booth and hosted a reception at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento.  The department's professors, cooperative extension specialists, staff and students hosted the booth at different times in order to interact with attendees of the symposium. Folks who stopped by our booth were treated to department brochures, the latest newsletter, a list of upcoming educational programs, Dropstops®, and candy! 

Why some red wines taste 'dry'

Viticulture and Enology
Wine connoisseurs can easily discriminate a dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, from a fruitier red, like Pinot Noir. Scientists have long linked the "dryness" sensation in wine to tannins, but how these molecules create their characteristic mouthfeel over time is not fully understood. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have found that tannin structure, concentration and interactions with saliva and other wine components influence the perception of dryness.
Dr. Carl Winter

Carl Winter quoted in US News and World Report article

Food Science and Technology

In an article written for US News and World Report, registered dietician Dr. Joan Sagle Blake implored her readers to keep eating fresh produce, despite the recent release of this year's "Dirty Dozen", which lists the 12 fruits and vegetables available in the U.S. that have the most pesticide residues.

In the article, she quotes FST's Dr. Carl Winter. His research detecting pesticides in foods and evaluating their risk to humans is used to inform the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Data Program.

The art of Sam Gittings, on display at the Robert Mondavi Winery, formed the backdrop for the annual meeting of the Oakville Winegrowers.

Eduardo Dingler, Wine to Sake: The Oakville Winegrowers

Viticulture and Enology
Undoubtedly one of my favorite events of the year, the Oakville Winegrowers delivered another exciting day full of in-depth vineyard and state-of-the-industry discussions, an epic flight of wines showcasing vintage and location differences and, of course, the walk-around tasting where the vintners from this famed region gathered to share their latest vintage releases.
Leticia Chacon-Rodriguez

VEN welcomes new winemaker, Leticia Chacon-Rodriguez

Viticulture and Enology

Leticia Chacon-Rodriguez is the Department’s new winemaker/winery manager, a role previously held by Chik Brenneman who retired in March 2019. Leticia will oversee crush operations and wine production, teach enology students about winery operations and wine production, and assist faculty and researchers with winemaking research projects and trials.

Marco Lab Junior Specialist

Food Science and Technology
This position will involve research on the microbiota of food and the digestive tract. The incumbent will be responsible for bacterial community analyses of foods, milk, and mammalian digestive tracts. Specific skills in PCR, quantitative PCR, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis (single genes and bacterial communities), and molecular biology (protein and nucleic acids) are required. Additionally, skills in bacterial and yeast culturing methods and genetic manipulation (gene deletion and mutation) are desired. Experience with animal husbandry and necropsy as well as in the maintenance of human cell cultures (e.g. Caco-2 cells) is recommended. The incumbent will be responsible for executing experimental plans developed in partnership with the PI. He/she will be expected to analyze and interpret data he/she collects and then, through critical thinking, propose next steps (experiments) to be discussed with the PI.
Cory Marx

Student Spotlight: Grad Student Cory Marx

Viticulture and Enology

Cory Marx is a second year Food Science and Technology graduate student. Originally from the east coast, Cory studied Geological Sciences and Chemistry in Miami, FL as an undergraduate before a short stint working as a hydrocarbon geoscientist in Texas. Competitively homebrewing and home-winemaking at the time, he started to progress through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust program as night classes after work. Hooked on the subject, Cory decided to make the move to California to pursue a graduate degree, combining a love for fermentation science and research at UC Davis.