Grapevine cultivar diversity is extraordinarily large. Whether we talk about wine, table, or raisin cultivars, as well as the rootstocks on which they are grafted, the diversity is remarkable—not only in fruit and enological characteristics but also in their performance in the field. Choosing the right cultivar and rootstock for a specific vineyard is a complex decision that requires a deep understanding of the plant materials, the vineyard’s terroir, and the market.

Student Standing
Second-year Ph.D. student.

Degree/Focus: Horticulture and Agronomy Graduate Group, focusing on climate change and viticulture. My research explores how climate influences quality traits in Chardonnay grapes, specifically acids, polyphenols, and aromatic precursors.

Hometown:
San Francisco, CA.

The Department of Viticulture and Enology had an outdoor in-person graduation celebration for our students receiving their B.S. or M.S. in Viticulture and Enology on Friday, June 14, 2024. V & E Chair and Associate Professor, Ben Montpetit kicked off the event and Merry Edwards V & E alumnus (M.S, '73) was the graduation speaker. Merry did not have the chance to walk at her undergraduate graduation ceremony at UC Berkeley, or her graduate ceremony at UC Davis, so she was presented with an honorary diploma. Dr. Montpetit, Dr.

Student standing: Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior/Graduate etc. 
2nd-year graduate student

Degree/Focus/interest areas: 
Viticulture and Enology

Where are you from originally? 
I was born and raised in Sacramento.

What brought you to UC Davis? 
I came to UC Davis for my VEN degree after working as a wine lab technician for two years. I wanted to go deeper down the rabbit hole.

At UC Davis, the VEN 124L Wine Production laboratory course offers students a hands-on immersion into the world of winemaking, combining the science of fermentation with the common sense and dynamic process of wine production. This course, currently taught by Dr. Ben Montpetit, goes beyond the typical lab setting by providing students the opportunity to make red and white wines at the 500-gallon scale in the UC Davis Teaching and Research Winery.