Eighth Annual UC Davis Wine Executive Program March 9-13 in Sacramento

DAVIS, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
With wine becoming more of an everyday beverage in many U.S. homes
and gaining traction in emerging markets, winemakers and vineyard
owners worldwide are more optimistic than ever about the future of the
industry.

Looking ahead, U.S. producers face stiff competition from imports
while rapid-fire consolidation and an ever-changing regulatory
landscape are presenting opportunities and pitfalls for every player
in the industry. Now more than ever, the wine industry is investing in
talent with the skills and expertise to meet these challenges.

Against this backdrop, the Graduate School of Management and
Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California,
Davis, will offer the eighth annual UC Davis Wine Executive Program
from March 9 to 13 in Sacramento.

Blending the business and science of winemaking, the innovative
professional development program focuses on the winemaking and
management skills that are critical to success in the industry.

The program is tailored for middle and senior managers from
wineries and vineyard of all sizes, industry suppliers, distributors,
financial institutions, service providers and affiliated businesses.
In the past seven years, more than 370 wine industry professionals
from across the United States and around the world have benefited from
the program. Last year's program sold out.

"The UC Davis Wine Executive Program instructors are first-rate,"
said past attendee Greg Ralston, managing director of Chateau
Montelena Winery in Calistoga, Calif. "They are leaders in their
fields who offer a provocative and contemporary curriculum. I continue
to pursue the concepts and apply the skills I learned, and find that
my contributions to all areas of winery operations have been
enhanced."

Led by UC Davis faculty and experienced guest lecturers, the
curriculum includes in-depth sessions on financial management,
winemaking practices, marketing and branding, cost analysis and
control, the latest grape and wine research, and operating modern
wineries and vineyards. An optional fourth day includes advanced
sessions on legal issues in the wine industry and managing vineyard
and winery operations.

Nearly a dozen wineries, financial institutions and related
businesses are sponsoring the executive education program including
Wine Business Monthly and Wines & Vines, the exclusive media sponsors;
Diageo, the exclusive winery sponsor; and American AgCredit, the
exclusive financial institution sponsor. Others include BMO Capital
Markets, Prudential, Rabobank, Silicon Valley Bank and Union Bank of
California.

For more information and to register, visit:
http://www.wineexecutiveprogram.com

UC Davis Graduate School of Management
Tim Akin, 530-752-7362
Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
tmakin@ucdavis.edu

Copyright Business Wire 2008