We kicked off the fall quarter with our annual department BBQ, bringing together students, faculty, and staff for a lively start to the year. Our DEVO and WIW students took charge of the grill, while faculty and staff warmly welcomed both new and returning students. Liz, the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology (V&E) advisor, shared thoughtful words as she embraced this enthusiastic new cohort. Our Chair, Ben, concluded the event with encouraging remarks that set a positive tone for the year ahead. With great food, engaging conversations, and a strong sense of community, it was a wonderful way to begin the academic year.
Our outreach and communications team had an amazing quarter connecting with future Aggies! We visited more than 22 community colleges and high schools (doubled from last fall) for college fairs, where Alejandra and the team shared the unique opportunities available in UC Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology (V&E). On campus, the team welcomed Vintage High School FFA and Calistoga High School students, and partnered for a second time with the Lodi Appellation Inclusion Collective (LAIC). We also hosted faculty and administrators from Las Positas College for a winery tour and a great conversation about supporting transfer students.
This year our department had the unique opportunity to participate in TASTE Food and Wine Tasting at UC Davis and Terra Madre Americas, hosted in Sacramento. Both of these events showcased opportunities in V&E and introduced people’s palates to our Hilgard631 wines.
A big thank you to Professor Luis Diaz-Garcia for creating a hands-on worksheet to help our student visitors grasp the basics of ampelography. And kudos to our assistant vineyard manager, Dawson Diaz, for leading interactive activities in the vineyard that showcased the different ampelography blocks. These experiences helped students connect classroom learning with real-world applications in the vineyard.
To close out the quarter, Alejandra led a resume workshop that simplified the writing process and offered practical interview tips—perfect timing for the career fair organized by Karen and Liz. Eleven wineries joined us to share their organizations and connect with our undergraduate and master’s students. Looking ahead, we’re excited to welcome more campus visitors and explore regional wineries, continuing to highlight how our program prepares Aggies with the skills and knowledge to shape the future of the wine industry.
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