April 2026: Letter from the Director
Picnic Day & Judgment of Paris
Spring is slowly unfurling in Davis with grapevines and olive trees starting to bloom around the Robert Mondavi Institute. It feels appropriate that the monthly newsletter is filled with news about wine and olive oil.
On May 18, UC Davis will host a truly historic wine event. The Judgment of Davis is a landmark blind wine-tasting competition in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, which shocked the wine world.
Hundreds of wines will be tasted and vetted by a panel of the world’s leading wine authorities, narrowing the final tasting down to just 10 reds and 10 whites. In two separate final tastings, a very limited number of guests will have the opportunity to taste and rate the wines as the expert judges make their final decision and witness the reveal of the winning wines.
The Judgment of Davis is in conjunction with the Vine to Mind Symposium, and a tasting ticket also includes day access to the May 18 morning workshop with lunch, and evening reception.
Coming up this Saturday, April 18, is the 112th UC Davis Picnic Day! Come visit the RMI for a day full of ice cream tasting, winery tours, learning about dark green juice and lima beans, grapevine giveaways, and more.
The UC Davis Olive Center will also debut its new extra virgin olive oil, ‘Friends Blend’, at Picnic Day. The new release was created in collaboration with local olive oil producers California Olive Ranch, Corto Olive and Séka Hills. The center will offer olive oil tasting and you can be among the first to buy Friends Blend and receive a free can of California table olives with your purchase.
The student-led Women+ in Wine will host its 3rd annual symposium on April 26, titled “Rooted & Rising: Lessons in Resilience for a Changing Wine Industry.” Guests will hear from a diverse group of wine professionals, followed by a reception for connecting and networking.
Finally, Wine Pairing for the People, an Evening with Cha McCoy, sold out quickly, but I am excited to share that the program will be recorded and we will share the video in the May newsletter. In the meantime, check out her new book Wine Pairing for the People, a first-of-its-kind guide to inclusive wine pairing that challenges conventional wisdom by pairing wines with the rich, diverse cuisines of the world.
Thank you for supporting the Robert Mondavi Institute and please forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague.
Sincerely,
Ned Spang
Director, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology
Ned Spang
Director, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology