Course Profile: VEN 3 Summer Abroad

Collage of photos from summer abroad class in France
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A Summer Study Abroad course, “VEN 3: Introduction to Winemaking” continues to be offered by the UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology (V&E) in the historic city of Dijon, France–the capital of Burgundy. This course introduces students to grape varieties, grape production, fermentation science, wine styles, alcohol and health, sensory evaluation, wine history, and an overview of the major wine regions of the world. As a Summer Study Abroad course, the class is condensed into four weeks and students earn 8 quarter units. 

The Summer Study Abroad includes several field trips (5 quarter units) that complement the in-class lecture material (3 quarter units) taught on-campus course during the academic year. The central location of Dijon in eastern France provides opportunities to visit many of the major French wine regions, including Alsace, Burgundy (Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Mâconnais), Jura, Beaujolais, the northern and southern Rhône Valley, and Provence. These trips include visits to wine producers, such as Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-St-Georges, M. Chapoutier in Hermitage, and Mas des Infermières in Oppède as well as special tastings and meals. Additional side trips explore local history, including The family vineyard of Lous Pasteurnear Arbois, France, or other sites of interest such as olive oil producers and cooperages.

Students from the University of California (UC) system and other US institutions are welcome to enroll in a Summer Abroad program. To find out more about the 2026 VEN 3 Summer Study Abroad, please visit (and share) this link.


Pictures:

  • Top Left: Winery Tour and Tasting at Mas des Infermières, a Ridley Scott property, in Oppède, France.

  • Top Right: Rocks on the vineyard surface retain heat and impact the growing conditions of the grapevine of M. Chapoutier in Hermitage, Rhone Valley, France.

  • Bottom Left: Fruits at a market in Apt, France.

  • Bottom Middle: Soils exhibit in the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne in Beaune, France.

  • Bottom Right: Fermentation Hall at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-St-Georges, France.

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