Robert Mondavi Institute

for Wine and Food Science

25 years

Celebrating a quarter century of teaching, research, and public engagement in wine, brewing, and food science — 2001 to 2026.

UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

The Founding Gift

A Gift Built to Endure

Pencil sketch of Robert Mondavi holding a glass of wine

In 2001, Robert and Margrit Mondavi family gave UC Davis $25 million to establish the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science to study, advance and improve wine, brewing and food sciences.

The transformational gift set in motion the development of world-class teaching and research spaces clustered among five buildings and a vineyard.

A quarter-century later, the RMI is a place of groundbreaking discoveries, collaborations and educational offerings attracting top-notch students, scholars and researchers. The gift also helped propel the campus into a green building revolution. And it set in motion a legacy of giving that remains today.

“Wine to me is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit.”
Robert Mondavi

25 Years

A History in Milestones

  1. 2001

    The Founding Gift

    Robert Mondavi makes a personal gift of $25 million to establish the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

  2. 2002

    Anheuser-Busch Foundation

    The Anheuser-Busch Foundation pledges $5 million in matching funds to support construction of a new brewing and food science laboratory building to be located next to the institute’s academic complex.

  3. 2005

    Breaking Ground

    Groundbreaking ceremony for the Robert Mondavi Institute.

  4. 2008

    A New Academic Complex

    Grand opening of the Robert Mondavi Institute North, South, and Sensory buildings, together comprising a 129,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art academic complex enabling the university’s winemaking, brewing, and food science programs to relocate under one roof for the first time. With support from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the UC Davis Olive Center is formally established.

  5. 2009

    Teaching Vineyard Planted

    5,000 vines, comprised of nearly 300 types of wine grapes, are planted in the university’s on-campus teaching vineyard.

  6. 2010

    A LEED Platinum First

    The institute opens the world’s first winery, brewery, and food and dairy processing facility certified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum by the US Green Building Council. The 34,000 square-foot facility, housing both the August A. Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory and the Teaching and Research Winery, was funded entirely by private donations.

  7. 2013

    Sustainable Winery Building

    The Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building is completed, becoming the first zero-carbon emission winery. It is the most water-efficient winery in the world.

  8. 2014

    New Teaching Winery Fermenters

    14 new state-of-the-art 500-gallon fermenters are unveiled in the teaching and research winery, named in honor of several of California’s pioneering wine families for their generous donations, totaling some $700,000.

  9. 2016

    The Good Life Garden

    Renovations to the Good Life Garden allow fruits and vegetables to be harvested and donated to The Pantry, which is committed to ending food insecurity at UC Davis.

Impact

A legacy that reaches
far beyond the vineyard.

The Mondavi family’s gift brought food science and viticulture and enology together, creating the people, places and partnerships that continue to shape the future of wine, brewing and food.

“It’s difficult to over-emphasize the magnitude of the impact of the gift. This facility inspired the campus to very successfully go green, increased our industry interactions and showed brewing, food and wine industries that you can make facilities that are sustainable.”
Andrew Waterhouse, emeritus chair of Viticulture and Enology

World-class spaces

Built for discovery

Five buildings and a vineyard give students, scholars and researchers the space to collaborate, experiment and respond to the next challenge.

Sustainability

A greener campus

The Teaching and Research Winery was the first winery in the world to earn LEED Platinum certification, helping set a new campus standard for sustainable facilities.

Partnership

A catalyst for giving

The original gift prompted a cascade of support that continues to strengthen RMI facilities, research and public engagement.

Impact in practice

Designed to evolve with the industries it serves.

From alternative-meat development in the pilot plant to large-scale research on wildfire smoke exposure, RMI facilities make it possible to address urgent needs as they emerge.

Celebration

Raise a glass to the next 25 years.

TASTE brings together the people and flavors that make the Robert Mondavi Institute extraordinary: local producers, generous supporters, curious students, and our wider community.

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