This month we celebrate the return to traditions, but with new safety measures.

In-person classes start this week, and there is a welcome buzz of students on campus. Face coverings change the landscape of smiling faces, but the energy and enthusiasm are still palpable. 

After a one-year hiatus, we also welcome back TASTE, our annual food and wine tasting fundraiser, on October 16. We cannot wait to welcome you, our food and beverage partners, and our student volunteers. Safety is our priority, so we have doubled the outdoor event area to accommodate safe distancing. There will also be attendee requirements such as a clear symptom survey or negative COVID test in compliance with UC Davis policy. In addition, we have limited our capacity to 250, and we expect to sell out quickly. Details and tickets are available on the TASTE webpage.

This year's TASTE beneficiary is Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center. Their mission is to help students experiencing food and housing insecurity, which have risen significantly since the pandemic began. We hope you share our interest in supporting our students in need.

Savor, in collaboration with the UC Davis Library, also returns in October in a virtual format. Registration for Savor: Our First Superfood and the Infant Microbiome on October 27 is now open. Join to learn how UC Davis discovered that gut microbes are essential for infants to digest breast milk properly. We also have two Sips and Bites planned. In November, we'll share UC Davis-made gifts and products. In December we'll talk about tea. More event details are coming soon.

Looking back to last week, we hosted an informative and fun Forum lecture with Bill Ristenpart of the UC Davis Coffee Center, and Peter Giuliano of the Coffee Science Foundation, and the Specialty Coffee Association. The fascinating talk will be posted on our YouTube channel later this week.

The return of community events on campus brings us hope even as we continue to consider safety and comfort levels. Thank you for understanding as we navigate the changes.

We hope to see you at an event soon!

Sincerely,

Andrew Waterhouse
Director, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Professor, Department of Viticulture and Enology