Event Date
About the Event
- Would you like to work in an industry where people are passionate about what they do?
- Do you love science but don’t want to work in a lab and are looking for a creative and exciting career?
- Do you like trying new foods and flavor combinations?
- Do you love to travel and want to see the world?
- Would you love to have the opportunity to work outside all day when you feel like it?
- Would you like to learn more about other cultures?
- Would you like a career where the jobs pay well right out of school?
Your career in the grape and wine industries could begin with an education at one of the world’s leading institutions for developing the next generation of leaders in grape growing and winemaking. UC Davis offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Viticulture and Enology. Our graduates are highly sought after for positions throughout California and around the world and hold leadership positions with companies small to large throughout the industry. Join us on Wednesday, September 8, from 3-6 pm PT for a virtual open house to explore how a UC Davis education can open up the possibilities of a career in the grape and wine industries.
REGISTER
The program will feature information from the Department’s world-class faculty and staff, current students, former students, and industry representatives, information about the application process, financial aid, and the many scholarship opportunities that support our students, and focused breakout sessions for prospective undergraduate and graduate students, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors. The event will culminate in a career fair featuring representatives from the industry so that prospective students can find out more about the many types of careers that exist in the wine and grape industries.
Agenda
3-3:15 PM
Welcome
- David Block, Professor and Marvin Sands Chair, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
- Julia Coney, Black Wine Professionals
3:10-3:55 PM
Information about the Department, Application Process, Financial Aid, and Student Life
- Samantha Arcement, Graduate Advisor, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
- David Block, Professor and Marvin Sands Chair, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
- Elizabeth Price, Undergraduate Advisor, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
- UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Students
3:55-4 PM
Transition to Breakout Rooms
4-4:30 PM
Breakout Room Sessions 1
- Prospective Undergraduate Students
- Elizabeth Price, Undergraduate Advisor, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
- Lucila Servin, Financial Aid Officer, UC Davis
- Prospective Graduate Students
- Samantha Arcement, Graduate Advisor, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
- Karen Block, Director of Industry Relations, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
- Teachers and Guidance Counselors
- Jamila Brown, Financial Aid Officer, Outreach Officer, UC Davis
- Tracy Diesslin, Academic Advisor, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Office, UC Davis
- Andy Waterhouse, Professor, Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
- Parents (English)
- Laura Catena, President, Bodega Catena Zapata
- Maritza Gonzalez, Associate Director, Admissions & Recruitment, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, UC Davis
- Lucrecia Ceruti, Financial Aid Officer, Outreach Officer, UC Davis
4:30-5 PM
Breakout Room Sessions 2
- Parents (Spanish)
- Laura Catena, President, Bodega Catena Zapata
- Maritza Gonzalez, Associate Director, Admissions & Recruitment, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, UC Davis
- Jamila Brown, Financial Aid Officer, Outreach Officer, UC Davis
4-6 PM
Career Fair
- Visit with industry representatives to find out about the different career opportunities that exist within the grape and wine industries.
A list of organizations participating in the career fair can be found here. This list will be updated as more industry representatives confirm participation.
More Information about the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis
For over 140 years, the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis has been driving innovation and training students which together have led to the success of California’s wine industry, and more generally the global industry. Successes and innovations that have developed out of the department include the modernization of processing and sanitation in wineries, the creation of a common lexicon for describing the aromas of wines, groundbreaking efforts in the drive toward sustainability in winery and vineyard design, and much more.
The department trains future leaders in grape growing and winemaking by offering both B.S. and M.S. degrees in viticulture and enology. The curriculum follows a core of basic science and intensive hands-on instruction in the lab, winery, and vineyard so that students experience every phase of the grape growing and winemaking process in our world-class facilities. From establishing and trellising their own vines to making their own wine, our students interact extensively with faculty, staff, and fellow students, and graduate with the experience they need to become creative problem solvers and trend-setting practitioners, making some of the most notable wines in the world.
Through outreach programs, projects and initiatives, Viticulture and Enology is committed to improving the quality of our program and the education of our students by encouraging a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion through proactive outreach and leadership and has been a driving force in diversifying the industry.
Graduates from the Department’s programs are grape growers and winemakers at the largest wine companies in the world. They are owners of some of the most famous boutique wineries, and top teachers and consultants in countries all over the world, and they develop new tools and equipment to improve wine quality and sustainability. Wines made by our graduates regularly appear in the annual Wine Spectator Top 100 rankings, and our graduates and faculty are strongly represented in Wine Business Monthly’s annual list of Industry Leaders. Our graduates are involved with companies that produce more than 85% (by volume) of all the wine made in the United States and are currently making wine in over 20 countries on 6 continents.
What careers are available in the grape and wine industries?
Graduates of this Department hold a significant number of technical positions in the California and United States grape and wine industries. Many international students have returned to their countries to take up key positions within the grape and wine industries or at universities. Enologists may find positions as cellar workers, lab technicians, winemakers, wine consultants, wine critics, fermentation researchers, or managers in wineries and other wine-related businesses, such as cooperages, distribution, and retail businesses. Viticulturists may find positions as vineyard managers, crop researchers, pest control advisers, grower relations consultants, fruit negociants, or agricultural loan officers in vineyards and crop-related businesses. As their careers progress, many of our graduates enter management or business tracks within the industry.
The demand for graduates in these areas has been generally good for more than 25 years. Typically, our viticulture and enology graduates are able to find appropriate employment upon graduation throughout California or across the U.S. Many students take temporary harvest positions immediately after graduation to gain valuable experience and continue their learning either here in the US or in Europe, and some will gain additional experience in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina (or elsewhere in the Southern hemisphere) during the crush six months later before seeking full-time employment.
With a degree in viticulture and enology, there are opportunities for a wide range of careers in the grape and wine industries. The following is a partial list of jobs in which graduates from our department are working:
- Agricultural Loan Officer
- Assistant Winemaker
- Buyer
- Cellar Worker
- Distributor or Importer
- Enologist
- Harvest Worker
- PR Staff
- Retailer
- Researcher
- Restaurant Manager
- Sales and Marketing
- Sommelier
- Tasting Room Manager or Staff
- Technical Sales or Support for Industry Suppliers (Equipment or Raw Materials)
- University Educator or Faculty
- Vineyard Management
- Viticulturist
- Warehouse Manager
- Wine Critic
- Wine Educator
- Winemaker
- Winery Manager/Operations Manager
- Winery Owner