For the first time in its history, the University of California, Davis has released wines crafted by its students, faculty, and teaching staff for public purchase under a new nonprofit label, Hilgard631. This initiative marks a major milestone for the university’s prestigious Department of Viticulture and Enology and follows a 2021 change in state legislation permitting such sales.
The law now allows the department to transfer up to 20,000 gallons of wine annually to a nonprofit entity for commercial distribution. In its inaugural release, approximately 500 gallons—equivalent to nearly 1,900 liters—have been bottled and made available for sale.
Among the first wines launched under the Hilgard631 label are a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2020 vintage) and a Sauvignon Blanc (2024 vintage), both produced from grapes grown at the university’s Oakville Station vineyard. These wines are currently the most premium offerings in the range, with the Cabernet priced at $125 and the Sauvignon Blanc at $50.
In addition, a series of wines produced by students enrolled in the VEN 127L product development class are also available. These include Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings priced at $40, and several varietals made from Yolo County grapes, such as Petite Sirah ($40), Albariño, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc (each $30).
Proceeds from the wine sales will go toward funding student scholarships, according to university officials. Prior to the legislative change, wines produced by students as part of their coursework were required to be discarded.
“These wines represent our students—their knowledge, creativity, and learning,” said Ben Montpetit, chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology. “From vine to bottle, our students are involved in every step.”
As part of the VEN 127L course, students work in teams to develop both a red and white wine, with support from a professional winemaking consultant. The process includes not only winemaking techniques but also lessons in chemistry, regulatory compliance, marketing, and blending.
Leticia Chacón-Rodríguez, winemaker and manager of the teaching winery, emphasized the program’s comprehensive nature: “The students get to connect everything that they learn — all the chemistry, regulations, marketing, and blending.”
The wines also feature student-designed labels. Master’s student Bainian Chen, who created the labels for the Oakville Station wines, incorporated iconic UC Davis landmarks into the design. “I usually love my pictures to be very colourful, full of imagination,” said Chen. “I wanted to leave something for the viticulture and enology department.”
The name Hilgard631 pays tribute to Dr. Eugene Hilgard, a pioneering soil scientist and the first director of the University Agriculture Experiment Station. It also references the address of the LEED Platinum-certified UC Davis Teaching and Research Winery on Hilgard Lane.
The debut of Hilgard631 not only represents a new chapter for the university’s academic wine program but also highlights the growing integration of education, sustainability, and entrepreneurship in California’s wine industry.
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