Event Date
Come to UC Davis on July 27th and 28th to take place in a special bootcamp presented by the Department of Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis and hosted by Dwyane Wade.
At the bootcamp, you will receive a two-day immersion into the technical and production side of grape growing and winemaking, to complement your existing knowledge in these and other areas of wine. As a world leader in teaching and research and the key driver in wine industry innovation for decades, we have created a fun and interactive curriculum designed to give you cutting-edge technical knowledge with plenty of time for you to ask world experts questions that you’ve always wanted answered. Through hands-on experiences and discussions with experts, you will be introduced to topics including vine physiology and viticultural practices, winemaking through fermentation, advanced sensory evaluation, the latest trends in packaging and implications for wine quality, sustainability in wineries and vineyards, and much more. You’ll have the opportunity to meet and dine with our world-class faculty, as well as visit the Napa Valley during the final afternoon of the program (depending on interest).
Proceeds from this program will go towards the Department of Viticulture and Enology's Broadening Horizons program, an effort that focuses on continuing to build and support a diverse student population. Through outreach programs, projects and initiatives, we are committed to improving the quality of our program and the education of current and future students by encouraging a culture of diversity and inclusion through proactive outreach and leadership.
Cost
- $2500 (includes 1.5 days of education and an optional afternoon trip to Napa on July 28th)
- Attendees are responsible for travel and accommodation costs in addition to the registration fee.
Registration Information
- Space at this event is limited to 10 attendees. If you would like to attend, please complete a brief application and we will be in touch with you within one week if you are accepted.
AGENDA
Thursday, July 27
8:00 - 8:30 AM
Coffee and Pastries
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Introduction to Viticulture
- Join Guillermo Garcia Zamora in the vineyard to learn about vine physiology and the growth cycle during the year. He will discuss choice of varieties and ampelography, in addition to the impact of climate, soil, and viticultural practices.
10:30-10:45 AM
Break
10:45-11:45 AM
Introduction to Winemaking Through Fermentation
- Join us in the world’s first LEED platinum-certified winery to learn about the process from grapes through fermented juice. Professors Block and Montpetit will discuss grape processing, yeast, and bacterial fermentation, all with hands-on experiences.
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Lunch
12:45 - 1:45 PM
Hands-On Winery Experience
- UC Davis winemakers Leticia Chacón-Rodriguez, Matharin Lee, and Fermin Ramirez will coach participants through grape sorting, destemming, crushing, and must inoculation. Prepare to get sticky!
1:45-2:45 PM
Post-Fermentation Processing
- Wine production doesn’t end when fermentation stops. There are many tasks from blending to clarification that the winemaker needs to consider prior to getting the product into the bottle. Professor Block will take you into the winery to explain all these options and the equipment that winemakers use to accomplish them.
2:45-3 PM
Break
3:00 - 4:00 PM
An Introduction to Sensory Evaluation of Wines
- In the end, the sensory properties of wine are critical to the enjoyment and marketability of wine. Formal sensory evaluation can help understand the impact of both viticulture and winemaking on the final wine as well as train the palate. Our sensory specialists will introduce the idea of using sensory standards for understanding and evaluating wines.
4:15-5:15 PM
Tour of Library Special Collections
- Archives and Special Collections at the UC Davis Library houses the university’s rare books and pamphlets, manuscript collections, photographs, maps, and University Archives. The collections include “the greatest wine library in the world,” with over 30,000 wine books in more than 50 languages. This hands-on tour will showcase several of the library’s rare, significant, and surprising materials that illustrate the history of wine and contextualize the growth and development of the wine industry. Highlights include an influential 19th-century manual for inexperienced winemakers, the first book about wine published in French, and Hugh Johnson’s whimsical Pop-Up Wine Book.
6:00 PM
Interactive Cooking and Dinner Experience with PLAYTE Kitchen
- Who says you shouldn’t play with your food? At PLAYTE, we’re all about stirring up some fun in the kitchen! We'll cook dinner together then sit down and enjoy it, pairing our food with wine, possibly even some rare ones.
Friday, July 28
8:30-9:00 AM
Coffee and Pastries
9:00-10:00 AM
Into the Bottle and Beyond
- Professor Block will describe the revolution in wine packaging from bottle to box to can and beyond. We will look at trends and talk about the technical challenges resulting from packaging choices.
10:00-11:30 AM
Sustainability in Vineyards and Wineries
- Wineries in California and around the world are constantly dealing with limited natural resources such as water, energy, and labor, in addition to striving to minimize chemical inputs—all in the face of significant climate change. In this session, Professor Block will discuss cutting edge solutions to increase the sustainability of operations into the future.
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Evolution of Style
- Wine styles are constantly evolving over time, based upon the interests of winemakers, and trends in consumer preferences. We will give an overview of evolving wine styles using examples such as Cabernet Sauvignon, fortified to table wines, and sparkling to pet nat.
12:30-5 PM
Optional Trip to Napa