A season of talks and tastings

with winemakers, brewers, researchers, and culinary innovators

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Welcome to the Robert Mondavi Institute

The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science's mission is to enhance public understanding of wine, brewing, and food sciences. Our events are open to the public and aim to highlight research, innovation, teaching and other programs that focus on food and beverage. 

The Robert Mondavi Institute complex includes the Department of Viticulture and Enology, the Department of Food Science and Technology, and the UC Davis Olive Center. These areas include the Teaching and Research Winery, Anheuser Busch InBev Brewery, teaching vineyard, California Processing Tomato Industry Pilot Plant, Food Innovation Lab, Milk Processing Laboratory, sensory science laboratories, Silverado Vineyards Sensory Theater, and the Good Life Garden.

Virtual Tour Highlight

The winery at the Robert Mondavi Institute is the first LEED-platinum-certified winery in the world and is right next door to the teaching vineyard. Their state-of-the-art facilities offer undergraduate and graduate students hands-on opportunities for learning and research in viticulture and enology. You'll also peek into the Special Collections room of special wines! 

If you are unable to visit the Robert Mondavi Institute in person, you can watch our virtual tours to see the innovative spaces, hear about the history, and learn about the programs, students and faculty research.

Latest Blog Posts

Attendees smelling aroma of wine in the Sensory Theater

The Art, and Science, of Wine Tasting

  • by Kaylianne Jordan

Have you ever wondered how winemakers and sommeliers seem better at tasting wine than everyone else? It’s not magic. It’s exposure. Over time, they sharpen their senses and learn to taste with intention. 

At a special student-led event, UC Davis Ph.D. candidates Arpa Boghozian and Lik Xian showed us that anyone can develop these skills. With the right approach, we can train our senses to experience wine on a whole new level. 

Jackson Gross, Remi Cohen, Ali Bolourchi

California’s Caviar, Sparkling Wine, and Future of Sustainable Luxuries

  • by Gwen Gonzalez

Caviar is known as a delicacy worldwide. Although rightfully expensive due to its 6-10 year long production time and very short six-week shelf life, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar is a company willing to turn these tides. Davis community members paired sparkling wines from Domaine Carneros and sturgeon dishes while discovering the close relationship UC Davis has with this unique industry.