January 2024

Comstock magazine header breast milk illust. Kelly Barr

Comstock's features UC Davis breast milk science

Food Science and Technology

In a Comstock's Magazine article from Dec. 4, 2023, FST Distinguished Professor and Chemist J. Bruce German shares how a visit to the UC Davis Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the early 2000s provided the emotional and motivational underpinning for the study of breast milk science at UC Davis since then. The article describes the formation of the Milk Bioactives Program within the Foods for Health Institute, and also features Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension in the Department of Nutrition Jennifer Smilowitz, as well as FST Distinguished Professor David Mills.

Cris

Welcome to our new Teaching Lab Manager, Cristina Medina-Plaza!

Viticulture and Enology

Cristina (Cris) is from Valladolid (and the surrounding region), in central Spain. She received her B.S. in Chemistry, a M.S. in advanced techniques in chemistry, and then a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Valladolid. However, she says that her Ph.D. is really in electrochemistry because that was her thesis topic. She worked on sensors to look at ripening in grapes (sugars and phenolics). 

Luis

Research Profile, Luis Diaz-Garcia

Viticulture and Enology

Dr. Luis Diaz-Garcia is an Assistant Professor and Grape Breeder in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. He succeeded Dr. Andrew Walker, who led winegrape and rootstock breeding efforts at UC Davis for over 30 years. Dr. Diaz-Garcia earned his bachelor's degree in Agronomy from Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Mexico. He then completed his master's degree in plant biotechnology at the National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (LANGEBIO) in Mexico, where he used systems biology and bioinformatics to study yeast stress. Subsequently, he obtained his Ph.D.

Leticia harvest

Harvest 2023 in the LEED Platinum Teaching and Research Winery

Viticulture and Enology

Harvest 2023 came with unique opportunities, challenges, and excitement. We experienced cooler weather overall compared to previous years, so harvest started three weeks later than usual in our winery. This led to a compressed harvest that overlapped with Fall quarter courses, so we needed to juggle more activities in a shorter period of time.  

Extension collage

Winter 2024 Extension Summary

Viticulture and Enology

We hope that harvest finished smoothly for everyone and wish all a happy and healthy new year! During the fall, the extension team hosted two programs: On the Road in Alameda County and a UC Davis Grape Day.  On November 9, 2023, we hosted the On the Road program in Livermore at the UC Livermore Collaboration Center (UCLCC).

Winter awards and honors

Recent Awards & Honors

Viticulture and Enology
DEPARTMENT NEWS 


The UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology Broadening Horizons Program was recently selected as one of the Gérard Basset Foundation 2023 grantees. The Gérard Basset Foundation supports global diversity, equity, and inclusion for wine, spirits, and hospitality professionals by funding education, learning, and career-enhancing programmes.