The Leading Incubator for Winemakers Is Finally Selling Its Own Wine

For decades, UC Davis has quietly held the title of the training ground for the wine industry’s future stars. From vintners in Napa to innovators in biodynamic viticulture, many of the most respected names in wine have passed through its Department of Viticulture and Enology. Now, for the first time in its storied history, the world-renowned program is doing something truly unprecedented: selling its very own wine to the public.

UC Davis has officially launched Hilgard631, a wine label that showcases the talent, creativity, and hands-on experience of its students, staff, and faculty. After more than a decade of planning and a crucial change in California law, the university is putting its teaching wines on the market.  

From Teaching Tool to Toast-Worthy Bottles

Up until recently, wines made in UC Davis classes — including those crafted in the popular 10-week winemaking course, VEN 127L — were destined for the drain. As part of a teaching institution, they couldn't be legally sold. That changed in 2021 when California passed a law allowing up to 20,000 gallons of wine from academic winemaking programs to be transferred to a nonprofit for sale. UC Davis quickly put that new law to work.

Now, under the Hilgard631 label — named in honor of Eugene Hilgard, the university’s pioneering agricultural scientist, and the address of the Teaching and Research Winery — wines made by students from vine to bottle are available to the public.

Education Meets Innovation

These aren’t just classroom exercises. The wines reflect real craftsmanship, from grapes grown at UC Davis’s Yolo County vineyards to the prestigious Oakville Station in the heart of Napa Valley. Among the first releases: a 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, both from Oakville, along with 12 other wines made by student teams in VEN 127L.

That course, originally focused on blending, stabilization, bottling, and label design, has now expanded to include sales and marketing — bringing the full wine business lifecycle into the classroom.

“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.”

Each group of student winemakers gets paired with a professional industry consultant and works collaboratively to produce both a red and white wine. They also design their own labels, like the colorful, campus-inspired artwork created by master’s student Bainian Chen.

A New Era of Sustainable Learning

Selling the wines is more than a novelty. It’s a commitment to sustainability. Instead of pouring perfectly good wine down the drain, students now see their work come full circle — from grape crush to corking and labeling.

“It’s more sustainable than pouring it down the drain,” said Professor David Block, the course creator. “And it’s a new aspect of the program that connects science, creativity, and business.”

And yes — the students are doing it all. They’re not only blending and fermenting, but also operating commercial bottling lines, designing marketing strategies, and now, sharing their wines with the public.

Supporting the Next Generation of Winemakers

Sales of Hilgard631 wines support student scholarships — so every bottle you buy directly funds the next wave of innovation in winemaking. Prices range from $30–$40 for the student-created wines and $50–$125 for the limited Oakville Station vintages.

If you’ve ever wondered what the future of wine tastes like, this is your chance to find out.