University of California (UC) researchers have extended information at Grape Days for 58 years. Here is a brief history, as remembered by Amand (Kas) Kasimatis and L. Peter Christensen, Extension Specialist Emeriti, Dept. of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis.
Commodity days were quite popular on the Davis campus in the early fifties; the first Grape Day was held there in Aug., 1951. H. B. Richardson, Ext. Specialist, and A.J. Winkler, Chair of the Dept. of Viticulture and Enology, organized the first program. At the time, there was a lot of field research being done in the University vineyard, so most of the Department faculty put on a demonstration. It included lunch on a lawn with shade trees around the Viticulture fieldhouse and had a luncheon speaker. L. Peter Christensen remembers attending one of campus Grape Days in the mid 1950s. “Nick Dokoozlian Sr. drove the van. It was very popular and awe inspiring for a farm boy.” Amand Kasimatis took over in 1956 and chaired the campus programs yearly until the early 1980’s. In January 1976, Kasimatis, in collaboration with California Association of Wine Growers, developed Wine Grape Day. Additional Wine Grape Days were held every February through 1985, on the Davis campus, with the exception of one that was organized by Vince Petrucci (Professor of Viticulture, CSU Fresno), and held in Fresno. No Grape Days have been held on campus since 1985, but the Department presents RAVE (Recent Advances in Viticulture and Enology) in March.
In the 1960s, Kas established several regional Grape Days at off campus facilities. The first of these was the Coast Grape Day, at the Oakville Station, Napa Valley. Grape Day at Oakville continued for some time, eventually under the direction of Jim Wolpert. The first Grape Day at the Kearney Agricultural Center (KAC), also initiated by Kasimatis, was held in 1967, two years after the center was opened. Kasimatis directed Kearney Grape Days until 1973, when Fred Jensen (Extension Specialist Emeritus, UC Davis) assumed those responsibilities. In the mid 1980s, L. Peter Christensen became an Extension Specialist, and then was responsible for the Grape Day at Kearney until Nick Dokoozlian (former Specialist, Dept. of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis) took over in the early 1990s. Since 2005, Matthew Fidelibus has organized Grape Day at the KAC. We hope you find this year’s program to be interesting and enjoyable, and that you will join us again in 2011.