Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science

08/06/2026

We are deeply saddened to share that Walter “Walt” Klenz passed away peacefully on July 20, 2026 at the age of 81. He was a champion of the wine industry and a longtime supporter of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. Please read about his amazing life and impact: https://rmi.ucdavis.edu/blog/remembering-walt-klenz

As his obituary stated, “His influence extended far beyond the wine business, and his wisdom, integrity and humility leave an indelible mark on many other industries and on the many people fortunate enough to know him.”

07/16/2026

Join the Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein (iCAMP) for a special tasting - Protein Central: University Dining Innovation Edition

📆Tuesday, July 21
⏰5:00–7:30 p.m.
📍UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute
👉Register https://forms.gle/ULHwxaBJJjQPYFLz7

This special edition of Protein Central featuring the inaugural iCAMP Experience, a University Dining Innovation Collaborative brings together executive chefs, university dining leaders, and innovative food companies to explore how next-generation foods can successfully move into large-scale dining systems.

Hear insights from participating companies, enjoy a panel discussion moderated by Professor David Block, and sample innovative products including plant-based shrimp, jackfruit-based meat alternatives, and hemp-based dairy alternatives.

Register by July 20, 2026: https://forms.gle/ULHwxaBJJjQPYFLz7

06/29/2026

Did you know our student writer Kaylianne Jordan writes amazing event recaps and articles for the RMI blog?

🍷Find out about Cha Squared Project's new book "Wine Pairing for the People"

🍇Learn about the Vine to Mind symposium and Judgment of Davis

🍽Find out which students won the jackfruit cooking competition hosted by Davis Alt Protein

🍺Meet the students who won the "Iron Brew" competition and brewed their recipe with Dunloe Brewing

Visit rmi.ucdavis.edu/blog to read all about it!

Image descriptions:
1: Kaylianne Jordan with long red hair and glasses, writing intently and wearing a UC Davis sweatshirt
2: Cha McCoy in a red dress and Ned Spang in a collared shirt standing behind a table with Wine Pairing for the People book in front of them and projected on the screen behind them
3: room full of people with many wine glasses in front of them with a woman in the center smelling wine in a glass. Credit Lumina Studio
4: student in a kitchen wearing a hair net and apron, plating four plates of food
5: winning team of four students standing i front of a brick wall with the Dunloe Brewing logo and sign between them

05/20/2026

Cheers to the 2026 Iron Brew winners!🍻 The four-member team won the annual brewing contest with "Bananaweizen", a Hefeweizen-style beer with notes of banana, spice and clove. They brewed their recipe with Dunloe Brewery , and it will be released at Gunrock Pub on Thursday, May 21 at 1:30 pm. You can also find it at Dunloe Brewery & Taproom in downtown Davis.

Image description: 1. colorful can label art with green trees and a bridge over a blue stream with bananas floating in it. 2. winning team members smiling in front of a Dunloe sign on a brick wall.

04/16/2026

Coming up this Saturday, April 18, is the 112th UC Davis Picnic Day! Come visit the Robert Mondavi Institute for a day full of ice cream tasting, winery tours, learning about dark green juice and lima beans, grapevine giveaways, olive oil tastings and more.

Picnic Day at UC Davis is filled with activities, Aggie Pride, and a campus full of students, families, and community members.

03/31/2026

🍷 May 16: UC Davis Alumni WINE Showcase 🍷

Tickets at the link in our bio or here: https://rmi.ucdavis.edu/events/uc-davis-alumni-wine-showcase-2026

With more than 20 participants, you’ll be able to taste student-made wines and offerings from select UC Davis alumni winemakers and wineries like Paul Hobbs Wine, Honig Vineyard & Winery, Williams Selyem, Andis Wines and many more. Early bird pricing ends May 1.

The UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology (V&E) is world-renowned, with many Cal Aggie Alumni working throughout the wine industry. Join us for an alumni wine showcase to sample wines from select alumni winemakers and wineries.

03/31/2026

Join us on May 11 for an evening with renowned certified sommelier and Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40 tastemaker, Cha McCoy, as she shares her new book, "Wine Pairing for the People", a first-of-its-kind guide to inclusive wine pairing that challenges conventional wisdom by pairing wines with the rich, diverse cuisines of the world.

https://rmi.ucdavis.edu/events/wine-pairing-people-evening-cha-mccoy

Cha Squared Project

Join us for an evening with renowned certified sommelier and Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40 tastemaker, Cha McCoy, as she shares her new book, Wine Pairing for the People, a first-of-its-kind guide to inclusive wine pairing that challenges conventional wisd

03/19/2026

✨ You’re invited: Join Harvard and UC Davis for Vine to Mind 2026, a symposium to explore how wine, data science, and AI are shaping the global wine industry.

The program features keynote conversations with Karen MacNeil, Michael Mondavi, and Christine Wente, alongside sessions with industry icons including Orley Ashenfelter, Eric Asimov, Jing Cao, Felicity Carter, Xiao-Li Meng, Ben Montpetit, and more — bringing together voices from winemaking, economics, data science, and wine media.

📍 University of California, Davis
📅 May 18–21, 2026

What to expect:
🍷 May 18 – Judgment of Davis Wine Tasting Event and Opening Reception
📈 May 19 – 50 Years of Changes in Wine Perception and Demand
🤖 May 20 – The Next 50 Years: Wine, Technology, and Innovation
🍇 May 21 – Immersive Napa Valley Wine Experience

🔗 Learn more and register: https://www.vinetomind.org/register

This program is co-organized by the Harvard Data Science Initiative and the Departments of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis, with support from the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

World-class keynotes & panel discussions Interactive breakout sessions & experiential learning AI vs. human competitions on wine innovation and wine evaluations Exclusive wine-tasting and networking opportunities

03/18/2026

👉 Secure Preferred Pricing: Join Harvard and UC Davis for Vine to Mind 2026, a symposium to explore how wine, data science, and AI are shaping the global wine industry.

The program features keynote conversations with Karen MacNeil, Michael Mondavi, and Christine Wente, alongside sessions with industry icons including Orley Ashenfelter, Eric Asimov, Jing Cao, Felicity Carter, Xiao-Li Meng, Ben Montpetit, and more — bringing together voices from winemaking, economics, data science, and wine media.

📍 University of California, Davis
📅 May 18–21, 2026
What to expect:
🍷 May 18 – Judgment of Davis Wine Tasting Event and Opening Reception
📈 May 19 – 50 Years of Changes in Wine Perception and Demand
🤖 May 20 – The Next 50 Years: Wine, Technology, and Innovation
🍇 May 21 – Immersive Napa Valley Wine Experience

🔗 Learn more and register: https://www.vinetomind.org/

This program is co-organized by the Harvard Data Science Initiative and the Departments of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis, with support from the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

UC Davis | Harvard Data Science Initiative | Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science | College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis

02/26/2026

Join us at Grains of Connection: Art, Food & Conversation this Saturday, Feb. 28, from 1–5 p.m. at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, UC Davis.

🫒 Sample olive oils, bread and mezze from and ; plant seeds from the Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library with the ; try your hand at grinding wheat; and sculpt dough with herbs and spices in the Art Studio. (1-3:30 p.m.)

🦆 Listen to curator Susie Kantor’s pop-up talks in the exhibition “Sahar Khoury: Weights & Measures” (2:30 & 3 p.m.)

👥💬 Hear Bay Area chef Reem Assil .assil and Professor Charlotte Biltekoff in dialogue, with communal za’atar making (3:30-4:45 p.m.)

📍Manetti Shrem Museum, 254 Old Davis Road
🆓 Open to the public and free for All!
🔗 Find more at the link in bio.