University of California, Davis
History and Development
The history of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) dates back to 1880, when the California Legislature mandated the University of California to establish a research base to support the state's developing wine industry. Initially, the work was conducted at the Berkeley campus; however, following the repeal of Prohibition in 1935, the department was officially re-established directly at the agricultural campus in the city of Davis.
The uniqueness of the institution lies in the fact that it was the first in the world to combine ampelography, grape genetics, and enology into a single continuous scientific and practical cycle. Over decades of successful operation, the research base evolved from a local laboratory into a major international scientific center. Today, the department's material and technical complex includes experimental vineyards, advanced genetic laboratories, and its own high-tech research winery (The Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery at the Robert Mondavi Institute).
Core Scientific Activities
The scientific school of UC Davis has shaped modern standards for the commercial grape and wine industry. The department's activities are focused on the following key areas:
- Germplasm Conservation and Clean Plant Material: The university houses the Foundation Plant Services (FPS), a facility dedicated to eliminating dangerous viruses from global grape varieties, registering benchmark clean clones, and supplying nurseries with certified planting material.
- Breeding and Molecular Genetics: Developing new rootstocks and scion grape varieties with genetic immunity to aggressive pathogens, drought, and extreme climate factors.
- Genetic Mapping of the Vine: Applying advanced Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) methods and decoding grape genomes to accurately predict the traits of hybrids without the need for decades of field trials.
- Climate Zoning and Enology: Developing models to adapt winemaking to global climate change, studying the microbiology of fermentation, and analyzing wine biochemistry.
Contributions to Viticulture and Winemaking
The university's scientists have made fundamental contributions to global ampelography by creating dozens of commercial grape varieties and developing classic terroir evaluation systems. In 1944, Professors Maynard Amerine and Albert Winkler developed the famous Winkler Index (Amerine-Winkler Heat Summation Scale), a climate zoning system based on growing degree-days that still dictates the principles of varietal regionalization for vineyards worldwide.
Among the most famous achievements and grape varieties bred by the university are:
Wine and Table Grape Varieties (Bred by Prof. Harold Olmo):
- Rubired: A unique teinturier (red-fleshed) wine grape variety obtained by crossing Alicante Ganzin and Tinta Cão. It features intensely colored pulp and juice, making it widely used for wine color adjustment and concentrate production.
- Ruby Cabernet: A highly productive wine grape variety (a hybrid of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan) created for hot regions, producing deep-colored wines with good aging potential.
- Red Globe: A legendary large-berried table grape that has become one of the most widely cultivated commercial varieties in the world.
Innovative Varieties with Complex Resistance (Bred by Prof. Andrew Walker):
As part of a long-term breeding program against the incurable Pierce's disease (caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa), a series of patented varieties were released, containing up to 97% Vitis vinifera genes while possessing absolute immunity to the disease:
- Camminare Noir and Paseante Noir: Promising red wine grape varieties whose phenolic profile and organoleptic properties are highly similar to classic European cultivars (including Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah pedigree).
- Errante Noir: A rich, red wine grape variety (50% Sylvaner, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, and Chardonnay) demonstrating 100% resistance to Pierce's disease and excellent tannin potential under hot climate conditions.
The UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology continues to stand as the primary scientific, methodological, and educational hub coordinating international research, with its alumni shaping the direction of modern winemaking across all continents.