Fall has arrived on campus with cooler days and a buzz of excitement as students move in and prepare for classes to start next week. It's one of my favorite times of the year, and I'm excited about the fall events we have lined up for you!

TASTE tickets are now on sale. Join us on October 14 under the olive and sycamore trees at the heart of the Robert Mondavi Institute for our food and wine-tasting event. Attendees will enjoy local and regional wineries, breweries, restaurants, and live music as we come together with friends, colleagues, and the community. Last year, we sold out in less than a week, so get your tickets soon.

We have two virtual events coming up on important topics. Forum - Farm to Kitchen: Making Foods Safe on October 12 will highlight the work of the food science professors of Cooperative Extension and their support of food producers. Savor - Brewing Change: Craft Sake in the United States on November 8 will explore how the creative sake community is embracing sustainability and developing new ways to enjoy an ancient beverage.

The UC Davis Olive Center has developed a milling and extraction workshop in Spanish--a first in California. Participants will learn the necessary aspects from post-harvest to the finished product in October. I'm proud of their commitment to providing this valuable class to the olive and olive oil industry.

After over a decade, Amina Harris has retired as director of the Honey and Pollination Center. Her accomplishments are impressive, but her collaborations and the community she built around honey, bees, and mead are remarkable. She helped develop the US Honey Aroma and Flavor Wheel, supported the creation of the Bee Symposium, California Honey Festival, and California Master Beekeeper Program, and started Mead classes at UC Davis. The Robert Mondavi Institute sincerely thanks Amina for her years of dedicated work, and I hope you read her farewell letter.

I appreciate your support of the Robert Mondavi Institute and the Centers of Excellence and hope to meet more supporters at TASTE on October 14.

Sincerely,

Ned Spang
Director, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology

View the entire September 2023 Newsletter