Staff | BFTV Cluster News

Staff Spotlight: Dawson Diaz, Assistant Vineyard Manager

What is your role within the Department of Viticulture & Enology?
I help support farming operations for the department’s vineyards in Davis and at the Oakville Station in Napa County. I’m lucky to be involved in every step in between planting and harvesting, mostly through supervising our vineyard crew.

A Brewing Reunion at a Turning Point for Beer

Food Science and Technology

As Beer Faces Shifting Tastes and Economic Pressures, Alumni Gather to Honor Educators Who Helped Shape the Industry

2025 Harvest Highlights

Viticulture and Enology

Every harvest brings its own unique season and a wonderful group of students to work with. We are grateful to everyone who contributed this year: staff, faculty, students, researchers, and scholars. Between August 13 and October 16, 2025, we processed 54.4 U.S. tons of fruit across 20 grape cultivars.

The Evolution of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis

Food Science and Technology

The food science and technology major offered at UC Davis is a well-rounded mix of theory and practice, with a hands-on learning approach being both effective and expected at California’s No.

UC Davis Yeast Discovery Paves the Way for New Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

Food Science and Technology

Over a decade ago, researchers at UC Davis noticed something unusual while studying yeast: tiny oil droplets sinking to the bottom of a flask. The strain of yeast was producing a natural compound with soap-like properties, and now it’s being developed as an ingredient in cleaning products that are gentle on skin and environmentally friendly.

2025 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

Viticulture and Enology

UC Davis Viticulture and Enology (V&E) faculty, staff, and students represented the department at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium, January 29 and 30, 2025, at the Sacramento Convention Center. Our team’s booth and engagement with industry leaders highlighted the department's innovative research, cutting-edge approaches to teaching, evolving curriculum, new faculty, and our continuing leadership.

What to Know About Processed and Ultra-Processed Food

Food Science and Technology

Experts Weigh In on the Debate Behind How Processed Foods Could Affect Health Take a stroll down the middle aisles of any American grocery store, and you’ll be surrounded by rows of brightly colored packaged macaroni and cheese, instant soups and chips in all forms and flavors — all with long ingredient lists.

Learn about yeast and other amazing living things at UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, Feb. 8, 2025

Food Science and Technology

Nine UC Davis biological collections including the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection are all having open houses the same day, Saturday, Feb 8, 2025! More information at the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum day event website. The yeast collection exhibits will be open 10:00 am - 2:00 pm in the Robert Mondavi Brewery, Winery and Food Pilot Facility.

Welcome to our new Viticulture & Enology faculty and staff!

Viticulture and Enology

Liang Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Wine Chemistry

I am a wine chemist, researcher, and educator in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis.

2024 Harvest Recap

Viticulture and Enology

Thank you to everyone who participated in 2024’s harvest, from staff and faculty to all our students, researchers, and scholars. We appreciate all their hard work.

We had the great surprise of having Chancellor May and his lovely wife tour the winery in an episode of “That May Be the Chancellor”.