UC Davis Wine Executive Program March 21-25 Blends Business and Science of Winemaking

DAVIS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. wines sales are up slightly and signs of an economic recovery are encouraging. Yet there is much uncertainty facing vintners, who are going through the worst recession in a quarter century. Some believe the thirst for high-end wines will quickly return. Others are not so confident.

This landscape presents opportunities and pitfalls for every player in the industry. Against this backdrop, the Graduate School of Management and Department of Viticulture & Enology will host the 10th annual UC Davis Wine Executive Program from March 21-25 on campus.

“The wine industry is in great turmoil,” says Professor Emeritus Robert Smiley, director of wine studies and a former dean of the management school. “Now more than ever, industry professionals—and those who service or want to enter the business—need the skills and techniques they will learn in the Wine Executive Program. From financial analysis to new marketing methods to advances in viticulture and winemaking, this program drives results.”

Blending the business and science of winemaking, the professional development course focuses on the knowledge and skills that are critical to success in making and selling wine.

Led by renowned UC Davis faculty and expert guest lecturers, the rigorous four-day program includes in-depth sessions on financial management, the latest grape growing and wine research, marketing and branding, cost analysis and control, legal issues, and best practices for managing modern winery and vineyard operations. A half-day boot camp kicks off the curriculum, offering industry newcomers—and those looking for a refresher—a choice of primers on the fundamentals of accounting and finance, or grape growing and winemaking.

Sessions will be held in the Graduate School of Management’s gleaming new building, Gallagher Hall, and at the nearby Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, the one-year-old home of the Department of Viticulture & Enology.

In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to visit the institute's experimental vineyard and tour the ongoing construction of an adjacent LEED Platinum winery/brewery. A new Hyatt Place hotel located directly behind Gallagher Hall offers accommodations just steps away from the classroom.

In the past nine years, more than 460 professionals involved in all facets of the wine business have benefited from the program. With a broad national and international mix of attendees, the program offers an interactive forum for knowledge sharing as well as for making valuable connections.

Supporters of this year’s program include Trinchero Family Estates, Wine Business Monthly, Wines & Vines, US Bank, American Ag Credit, Constellation Wines U.S., and Delicato Family Vineyards.

The registration fee for the full, four-day program including the Boot Camp is $4,400. The fee without the Boot Camp is $3,900. Discounts are available for multiple registrants for the same company.

For more details on the curriculum and faculty, or to register, visit www.wineexecutiveprogram.com.