Associate professor and department chair Ben Montpetit has been appointed the Richard M. Kunde Chair in Viticulture and Enology, which is named for a storied alum and pioneering Sonoma County grape farmer. 

Montpetit, a yeast biologist who became chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology in January, said the endowed chair position provides reliable and flexible support for students, research and teaching.  

Food and wine are more than just great flavors – they reflect the stories of communities and traditions. Darrell Corti, a Sacramento food and wine expert, has spent a lifetime sharing those stories, enriching California’s culinary landscape with his introduction of new tastes, ingredients and varietals.

To honor Corti’s contributions, Bob and Roger Trinchero, brothers from one of the largest family-owned wineries in the country and producers of Sutter Home wines, have established the $1.5 million "Darrell Corti Endowed Professorship in Food, Wine and Culture" at UC Davis.

The University of California, Davis, and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, or CA&ES, are celebrating the close of a successful multi-year fundraising campaign Expect Greater: From UC Davis, for the World, which brought in $2.25 billion to support students, research, innovation and other academic efforts. 

The University of California, Davis, today announced that philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick, co-owners of The Wonderful Company, have pledged the largest gift ever to the university by individual donors. The $50 million pledge will support the school’s longstanding commitment to address today’s most pressing challenges in agriculture and environmental sustainability.