On the Road in Lake and Mendocino Counties

On The Road programs are educational seminars that help us to communicate with the California grape and wine industries by bringing faculty to different regions of California. We present relevant topics or current research and, at the same time, listen to the issues that are important to grape-growing and winemaking professionals.

DATE AND TIME
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 9 AM – 1 PM

LOCATION
UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, Hopland, CA 95449

COST
$40/person (includes coffee, pastries, and a light lunch)

AGENDA

8:30 AM
Registration, Coffee & Pastries

9:00 AM
Welcome and Introduction
Karen L. Block, Director of Industry Relations, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

9:05 AM
Department Update
Ben Montpetit, Chair and Professor, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

9:25 AM
Rootstocks and drought resistance (will present via Zoom)
Megan Bartlett, Associate Professor, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

9:55 AM
Building better grapevine rootstocks for salinity, nematodes, and viruses
Luis Diaz Garcia, Assistant Professor, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

10:25 AM
Powdery Mildew + Botrytis Bunch Rot: Timing, Coverage, and Program Design for North Coast Vineyards
Akif Eskalen, Professor of Cooperative Extension, Department of Plant Pathology, UC Davis

10:55 AM
BREAK

11:05 AM
Smoke taint risk in winegrapes during prescribed burns
Chris Chen, Integrated Vineyard Systems Advisor, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties, UCANR

11:35 PM
NoLo wine production: Current technology and critical gaps in knowledge
David Block, Distinguished Professor, Departments of Viticulture & Enology and Chemical Engineering, UC Davis

12:05 PM
Outcomes from the use of redox control in fermentation management
Ben Montpetit, Chair and Professor, Department of Viticulture & Enology, UC Davis

12:35 PM
Q&A and wrap-up

12:45 PM
Lunch and Discussion