The academic year is coming to a quick end with students preparing for final exams and commencement ceremonies on the horizon. The Robert Mondavi Institute closes out the term with two amazing sold-out events.
Iron Brew is one of those UC Davis traditions that sounds almost too good to be real. Every winter, students in FST 102B Practical Malting and Brewing spend weeks formulating recipes, brewing batches on nanobreweries in the RMI pilot brewery, and competing for the chance to have their beer produced commercially.
Past winners, including Off the Clock, Caledonian Nights, Mighty Gale Ale, and Brew La-La have gone from campus fermentors to taps at The Gunrock, Sudwerk Brewing Co., and now Dunloe Brewing .
On Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, 83 students, faculty and staff from UC Davis gathered at the RMI Sensory building for the first Student Symposium on Food Justice. This gathering sought to unite students who are dedicated to a food system that nourishes both people and the planet and support our collective efforts to advance justice in our food system.
On May 11, 2026, certified sommelier, debut author, and change agent in the world of wine and beverage, Cha McCoy came to UC Davis with a mission to reframe how we think about wine, food, and who gets a seat at the table.
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.
The UC Davis Olive Center is releasing a new olive oil that’s as meaningful as it is tasty. “Friends Blend” will be available for purchase starting this week and the community is invited to get a free taste during Picnic Day, a beloved campus event that will be held April 18.
At the end of January, the Robert Mondavi Institute hosted Coffee Unfiltered: Thinking Outside the Cup, where coffee industry experts spoke to the coffee-curious about coffee’s origins, history and perception over the decades, and offered their predictions for the future. While pondering what could be next for coffee, what was clear above all was the deep connection coffee enthusiasts have with this beloved beverage, not only as a drink, but as a culture.
Students are finishing their finals and next week is spring break! I always look forward to the spring quarter and am excited to share two events that showcase UC Davis alumni.
Long before Napa, Bordeaux, or Tuscany became synonymous with great wine, people cultivated grapes and fermented wine.
At a recent Sips and Bites event, UC Davis Ph.D. candidate Arpa Boghozian guided guests through that deeper history. The tasting explored four ancient wine cultures, Lebanon, Greece, Georgia, and Armenia, pairing each wine with the traditions and techniques that shaped it.
This February, the Robert Mondavi Institute's Sips and Bites series welcomed two professors from UC Davis's Department of Viticulture and Enology.
Dr. Andrew Waterhouse is a professor emeritus, holder of an honorary doctorate from the University of Bordeaux, and an ISI Highly Cited Researcher. Dr. Liang Chen is a newly appointed assistant professor whose résumé includes work at E. & J. Gallo Winery and the analysis of wines that traveled to the International Space Station.
When we think about what connects us as humans, food inevitably rises to the top. But at UC Davis, a Terra Madre Americas panel revealed something deeper. Food isn't just what brings us together; it's a foundation for healthy communities and meaningful social transformation.
Moderated by Colin Dixon, director of the UC Davis Student Farm, the discussion brought together scholars and practitioners to explore food's role in building resilient communities.
Our first two programs of the year have been successful and well-received, selling out quickly and drawing a full crowd to the Robert Mondavi Institute Sensory Theater.
At Terra Madre Americas in September 2025, two UC Davis Health cooking demonstrations featuring chefs and registered dietitians proved that eating well during cancer recovery or for prevention doesn't mean sacrificing flavor.
From Tuscan white bean soup to fiesta-spiced chicken with pluot salsa, these recipes show how nutritious meals can be both delicious and healing.
When three members of the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Executive Leadership Board sat down with students in October 2025, they talked about building careers, setting boundaries, and why your 20-year plan might be holding you back.
What happens to your favorite wine or beer when the climate that shaped it starts to change?
That question was at the heart of Sips of Change, a dynamic panel at Terra Madre Americas, where UC Davis scientists and an Argentine winemaker came together to talk adaptation, tradition, and what fermented beverages might look like in the decades ahead.
