From Vine to Vision: A Winemaker’s Take on the UC Davis Wine Executive Program

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As a winemaker with three vintages under my belt and an Online MBA student at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management (GSM), I thought I had a solid grasp on the business of wine. However, after spending four intense, energizing and delightful days in the UC Davis Wine Executive Program (WEP), I realized just how much more there is to sip, swirl and soak in.

A unique interdisciplinary collaboration between the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology and the Graduate School of Management, WEP attracted an international cohort of attendees from Israel, Italy, Mexico, Missouri, Oregon, North Carolina—and many others like me from across California.

Participants ranged from winery owners, vineyard managers and aspiring vintners to accountants, marketers, bankers and lab managers. It felt like a blend as diverse and promising as a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre—for the non-winemakers reading). 

Like any good blend, we all brought something unique to the table, breaking bread and enjoying wine together.

Boot Camp Business and Vineyard Edition

We started the week with a jolt of coffee and financial insight from Michelle Higgins, professor at the GSM. For anyone more fluent in fermentation tanks than finance, her session on reading financial statements was both eye-opening and empowering.

Meanwhile, in the Viticulture and Enology track, Professors Jean-Jacques Lambert and Andrew Waterhouse shared science-backed insights into viticulture and winemaking. It was a choose-your-own-adventure day, with all paths leading to “level up your game.”

After a delicious catered lunch, GSM Dean H. Rao Unnava officially welcomed us with a message about bridging disciplines and industries that truly set the tone. He then handed the floor to Ashwin Nair, professor at the GSM, a welcome by Natalie Frazier, executive education director at the GSM, and Ben Montpetit, professor at UC Davis Viticulture & Enology, who helped us break the ice through heartfelt conversations about our wine journeys, professional challenges and bold ambitions.

We rounded out the day with Strategic Cost Management, led by Ayung Tseng, an assistant professor at the GSM, who made the topic actionable and accessible.  

We toasted to new friends, full brains and full glasses at the evening’s welcome reception. A great first day! 

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Legal Labels and Brand Legends

The next day brought an exciting blend of compliance and creativity.  Attorney John Trinidad addressed the topic of Legal Aspects of the Wine Industry. He made everything from labeling to DTC distribution feel clear (and even a bit thrilling—yes, really).

Next up, branding expert Amy Hoopes, chief commercial officer of The Wine Group, who reminded us that making your brand stand out is your advantage. Her passion for storytelling, authenticity and customer connection had us eagerly jotting down ideas.

In the afternoon, Jörn Boehnke, assistant professor at the GSM, led us on a tour of AI and data-driven decisions, showcasing how metrics can serve as powerful tools for boosting profitability and improving customer retention.

We ended the evening with a dinner and informal tasting, sharing wines from our regions—a true celebration of global winemaking. 

Palate Meets Purpose

Sensory Basics, led by Hildegard Heymann, distinguished professor at UC Davis Viticulture and Enology, provided a map of how we experience wine on the palate. We learned how our sensory differences shape perception, and that not tasting what others do doesn’t mean you’re wrong—it means you’re human. Many of us would have enjoyed hands-on sensory activities, but unfortunately, we had no time!

We also honored Anita Oberholster, professor of cooperative extension in enology, whose impactful research was shared posthumously by Heymann. Her work continues to influence our approach to winemaking with a focus on quality and sustainability, particularly during challenging economic times. 

After lunch and learning about the wines shared by our classmates, we visited the Platinum LEED-certified Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science's teaching winery, cellar and vineyards—essentially a Disneyland for wine lovers! We learned that students are involved in every aspect of winemaking and that the wines will soon be sold to fund scholarships, which served as a reminder that UC Davis doesn’t just teach innovation—it embodies it. (Not to mention that a team of UC Davis MBA students contributed the business plan to sell wine from the Institute’s teaching winery.)

We then strolled back to the GSM’s Gallagher Hall just a short walk across the Quad, where Kimberly Elsbach, professor emerita at the GSM and an expert of organizational behavior, led an insightful session on leadership styles. We explored effective communication, authenticity, and the significance of leading with courage while adapting to uncertain situations—skills we can utilize even under pressure to collaborate with a new team on winemaking. It was a crowd favorite, and we longed for part two! 

Looking Into the Future 

Next, we focused on the Vineyards of the Future, led by Mason Earles, assistant professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology and the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and then Wineries of the Future with David Block, professor of the UC Davis Department of Chemical Engineering.

Game-changing innovations are on the horizon, including inventory tracking, disease management, and water deficit irrigation through AI model training. Robots designed to address the winery's labor shortage were awe-inspiring and exciting. Imagine controlling robots from a dashboard that prunes, harvests, monitors fermentation, cleans tanks and bottles wines. The technology is already available; it’s just a matter of scaling it in ways that work for everyone, including small producers.

The GSM’s Ashwin Nair provided a primer on Strategic Marketing Management to help us understand how to sell directly to consumers and apply customer-centric principles to better comprehend our customers' needs and wants through data metrics.

We concluded the week with a heartfelt graduation ceremony. We weren’t merely leaving with certificates; we were departing with confidence, a new community and a renewed sense of purpose in our field.

Collaboration in Full Bloom

For anyone seeking to broaden their perspective, the UC Davis Wine Executive Program is the ideal offering. It integrates business, science and connection in a distinctly UC Davis manner—supportive, forward-thinking and highly collaborative.

Here’s to learning, leading, and making every vintage better than the last.