History of Excellence:

UC Davis has a rich history of excellence in the wine and food sciences. For more than 135 years, the University of California has maintained active research and education programs in viticulture, enology, and food science. No other academic institution can boast the rare combination of the premier College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, a large agricultural sector renowned for its fine wine and diverse food production, and the uniqueness of California cuisine.

The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science was established in 2001 with a gift of $25 million from Robert Mondavi to the University of California, Davis and allowed the Departments of Viticulture and Enology (VEN) and Food Science and Technology (FST) to relocate into a state-of-the-art teaching and research complex.

"We are greatly honored to support UC Davis with facilities that ensure its position as the world’s leading educational center for viticulture, enology, and food science."

—Robert Mondavi

The departments—each a world leader in its respective area of study—are linked with disciplines across campus to explore the role of wine, beer, and food in a healthy lifestyle. The Robert Mondavi Institute serves as a gateway between UC Davis and a broad community of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, industry professionals, and technologists engaged in all dimensions of wine, brewing- and food science-related activities.

Robert Mondavi’s vision was to provide both VEN and FST with a prestigious forum for collaboration, public engagement, and education built around the institute’s central mission: “Enhancing public understanding of wine, brewing, and food sciences.”