The UC Davis V&E Extension Team organized and presented several programs since the beginning of the year. We hosted two “On Campus” programs. The first, on February 19th, was titled, Exploring different aspects of vine health. Topics included: Interactive effects of trunk disease and water stress on grapevine physiology, Red Blotch and its effect on grape and wine composition, Studying wild grapes to envision the next generation of grapevine cultivars, and two presentations on Spotted Lanternfly.  The first, Spotted Lanternfly: The need to remain vigilant, and the second, Postharvest fumigation for spotted lanternfly control, were presented by Cindy Kron and Spencer Walse, respectively. Click here to view the full program.

The second On Campus program took place on April 16th, and was titled, Bringing low and no-alcohol wines to market: key considerations and challenges. This all-day event took a deep dive into the journey of crafting Low and No-Alcohol wines — from defining the product vision and selecting de-alcoholization technologies, to navigating production, marketing, and market entry. Attendees heard from expert winemakers and business professionals, explored real-world challenges and successes, and even got to taste a variety of no- and low-alcohol wines. We’re grateful to all our speakers, panelists, and participants for the insightful talks, thoughtful questions, and lively discussion. To view presentation topics from that program, click here. 

The extension team also presented two On the Road programs, one in Sonoma County at the Sonoma County Farm Bureau on March 19th and a second in Napa County at the CIA Greystone in St. Helena on April 22nd (with help from the Napa Valley Vintners). To view the Sonoma program, click here and to view the Napa program click here. We'd like to thank all of the speakers for presenting and all of the attendees for attending and supporting our educational programs.

On June 4th, we will host a UCD V&E Grape Day at the Oakville Station in partnership with Chris Chen, UCCE Integrated Systems Advisor for Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino Counties. It is already sold out. However, you can view the topics and speakers and we have started a waitlist here. 

If you have any suggestions, regarding topics you’d like us to present at future educational extension programs or places you’d like us to go “On the Road” please email Karen Block at klblock@ucdavis.edu.