Grains feed the world, but not all grains are (or taste!) equal. Just like the taste of wine depends on the type of grape, grain varieties affect quality, color, flavor, and more.

It has often been said that great wine is made in the vineyard, and it is very true that high-quality grapes are a fundamental ingredient for producing excellent wine. However, the people who tend to the vineyard are often overlooked.

Did you know that mushrooms are technically not plants? I certainly didn’t before I attended Sips and Bites: Fascinated by Fungi at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science featuring Dr. Gordon Walker, UC Davis alumnus and fungi expert extraordinaire.

I grew up in Los Angeles, so my childhood was not marked by many experiences surrounding agriculture. Many students who attend UC Davis come from similar backgrounds, so UC Davis is where students like me are exposed to the plethora of sciences and niches under the umbrella of agriculture. Personally, my passion for wine and grapes was found when I attended UC Davis, something I had never been exposed to previously. Meanwhile, some find their passion for goats, or what Ben Rupchis calls the “gateway livestock,” for students foraying into agriculture.

Every winemaker has a toolkit. Before, during, and after fermentation, the winemaker can use their tools to craft the wine they want to create, a wine that fits their style, the consumer’s desires, or the vineyard/region. Part of this toolkit is wine additions. These additions are dictated by the laws of the local wine region and, should the wine be exported, the wines of the importing country.

Shopping at the Davis Farmers Market is a classic Saturday morning activity for Davis locals and visitors alike. Showcasing freshly picked, vibrant fruits and vegetables, local farmers line up stalls to market their produce to the community and connect with consumers. These farmers come from small farms, the topic of the recent Savor lecture, hosted by the Robert Mondavi Institute for Food and Wine, titled “Sustaining Small Farms.”

If you’re a wine drinker like me, you probably have some fundamental knowledge about grape varieties. For example, Sauvignon Blanc makes white wine and Pinot Noir makes red wine, right? Well, it depends!

As someone who has studied viticulture and enology in both my bachelor’s and my current master’s program, I have learned that most grape-growing and winemaking is problem-solving. It’s up to the grape-grower and winemaker if they want to problem-solve proactively or reactively (or both), but trust me, the problems will come eventually and need solving—and you simply can’t prepare for them all.

As a viticulture and enology student, I have become accustomed to the process of wine tasting through my years of study and practice. The process has remained romantic while becoming systematic to me--I see, swirl, sniff, sip, savor the wine. During the Robert Mondavi Institute’s Sips and Bites event “Exploring the World of Artisanal Tea,” I learned that this same tasting approach also applies to tea, the most consumed prepared beverage in the world.

They say there’s a first time for everything. The recent Savor lecture “Our First Superfood and the Infant Microbiome” was the first time I watched a game show focusing solely on breast milk, the original “superfood.” I’m sure it was the first time for many others in the Zoom audience too!