The UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology (V&E) Extension Team organized and presented several programs both on and off campus from January through April 2026. At the January 2026 Unified Symposium in Sacramento, the Departments of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, Fresno State, and Washington State, along with the Oregon Wine Research Institute at Oregon State University, co-hosted a Unified academic alumni, student, and friends’ reception on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. The turnout was great, over 310 people stopped by! The room was buzzing with alumni reuniting, students networking, and friends catching up.
On February 18, 2026, the Department of Viticulture and Enology presented an On Campus Grape Day with the UCANR Viticulture Program Team (Viticulture Advisors, Cooperative Extension Specialists, and UCD V&E Faculty). It was a great way to hear about what researchers are working on and what they see as emerging issues around the state of California. To view the topics presented, click here. Thank you to all who spoke at this event!
This year, we were On the Road three weeks in a row. On February 25, 2026, we were On the Road in San Luis Obispo County at Niner Winery, in Paso Robles, CA. We co-hosted the event with the Vineyard Team and had just under 60 attendees. The speakers were Larry Bettiga, Cindy Kron, Matt Fidelibus, Luis Diaz Garcia, David Block, and Ben Montpetit. The venue was amazing, we got to meet new people and reconnect with some alumni, the attendees asked good questions, and the food, provided by the winery kitchen, was delicious. To view the agenda, click here.
On March 4, we were On the Road in Mendocino County at the Hopland Research and Extension Center. Chris Chen, UC Cooperative Extension Integrated Systems Advisor for Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma
Counties, was an amazing partner for this program. The Hopland REC was also a great venue for the program. The building has several sustainable features, beautiful surrounding scenery, and provides a casual environment with all the tech that you could possibly need. Did anyone else notice the “very large” fan? Thank you to the speakers for sharing their time and expertise (Megan Bartlett, Luis Diaz Garcia, Akif Eskalen, Chris Chen, David Block, and Ben Montpetit). To view the agenda, click here.
On March 11, we were once again On the Road, this time in Lodi (a little closer to home) at the Grape Festival Grounds. Thank you to Stephanie Bolton and Stuart Spencer for their help with suggested relevant topics and the projection screen! There were many meaningful conversations and fruitful interactions with attendees. Thank you to Megan Bartlett, Luis Diaz Garcia, David Block, Ha Nguyen, Liang Chen, Justin Tanner, and Ben Montpetit for speaking at this event. To view the agenda, click here.
On April 15, the Department of Viticulture and Enology presented “Current and Upcoming Challenges in the Grape and Wine Industries” at the UCD Conference Center. Symposium sections were dedicated to the production of no and low alcohol beverages, current wine market and production trends, new bottling and packaging technologies, and finally a section on tourism and agrotourism. We’d like to thank all the speakers. To view the agenda (and all the speakers), click here.
On April 28, we were On the Road at the CIA/COPIA in Napa, partnering with the Napa Valley Vintners (Thank you to Linda Reiff, Connor Best, and Laurel Sherry) and amaea to support this event. Topics presented included sampling strategies for red blotch, smoke exposure risk assessment and validation of remediation technologies, vineyard mothballing, tools for tracking vine water use and irrigation strategies, and an introduction to the uses of precision viticulture. Thank you to Monica Cooper, Arran Rumbaugh, Torey Arvik, Chris Chen, Andrew McElrone, Mason Earles and Ben Montpetit for sharing their expertise. To view the agenda, click here.
And finally, on April 30, we had an informal get-together organized by UCD V&E and the Lodi Winegrape Commission at Ruhstaller in Dixon. It was a great way for UCD V&E students, faculty, and staff, and Lodi grape growers and wine producers to come together, connect, and have some fun! It was so successful that we are already talking about next year! Thank you to all the organizers that worked to put this together and to all the people that took time out of their busy schedules to attend.
Upcoming programs:
On Campus Programs:
June 3, 2026: Climate Resilience in Vineyards Workshop, at the UC Davis Oakville Station. If you would like more information, please email Karen Block (email below), as seating is limited.
On the Road Programs:
We have completed our On the Road programs for the 2025-26 academic year and look forward to continuing these programs starting in the Fall of 2026.
We’d like to thank our Extension Partners, without whom we would not be able to bring you these programs. Aggie Gold: J.Lohr Vineyards and Wines, Gallo, Constellation Brands, and the American Vineyard Foundation and Aggie Blue: O’Neill Vintners and Distillers, Vineyard 511, Enartis, and Fermentis/ATP Group.
If you have any questions about our extension programs or would like to suggest a topic for a future program, please email Karen Block at [email protected].