UC Davis Now Selling Wine—Thanks to MBA Student Ingenuity

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For the first time since its founding in 1880, the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology is selling wine to the public—thanks in part to a team of MBA students whose strategic plan helped turn a longtime vision into reality.

The launch of the Hilgard631 wine label marks the culmination of more than a decade of planning, made possible by recent legislation allowing the university to transfer up to 20,000 gallons of wine annually to a nonprofit for public sale. This initial release includes roughly 500 gallons of wine.

Until now, tens of thousands of gallons of high-quality, student-made wine had to be poured down the drain due to legal constraints.

Cellars to Sellers: An MBA Capstone Project

In 2018, a team of Full-Time MBA students from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management partnered with the Department of Viticulture and Enology for their 10-week Integrated Management Project (IMP). The team—led by Jordan Chaffin MBA 19 and including Laudan Yavari, Cameron McDonald, Nicolas Dockins, and Nichole Zaragoza Smith—created a comprehensive business plan to guide the wine sales initiative.

“When we were students, we were sitting around wondering, ‘Why can’t they sell this?’ as we were dumping it down the drain.”

— Jordan Chaffin MBA 19

The MBA team’s plan outlined the formation of a nonprofit and recommended lobbying for a legislative fix. Their strategy emphasized building the UC Davis wine brand and leveraging its reputation to support premium pricing and direct-to-consumer sales.

“We heard a lot during the process: ‘All we do is focus on making the best wine. There’s this whole other side of the industry that we have to understand—how to sell and market it,’” said Laudan Yavari MBA 19 in UC Davis Magazine. “In a way, we were leading them in how to create a business that would be successful.”

The team's recommendation to advocate for a change in state law led to Senate Bill 918, which UC Davis successfully championed—clearing the path to launch Hilgard631.

“Amazing to hear that the project came to fruition. Huge congratulations to those who carried this forward and brought it to life.”

— Nichole Zaragoza Smith MBA 19

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Hilgard631 Wine Sales Will Benefit Student Scholarship

The Hilgard631 name honors Eugene Hilgard, founding director of the university’s Agricultural Experiment Station, and the address of the UC Davis Teaching and Research Winery at 631 Hilgard Lane.

Hilgard631, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, makes it possible for the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology to share student-made wine with the public. Every bottle sold funds student scholars.

The inaugural wines include a 2020 cabernet sauvignon and 2024 sauvignon blanc made with grapes from Oakville Station, UC Davis’ research and teaching vineyard in the heart of Napa Valley.

More about the MBA team project

Explore the Hilgard631 wine launch