More Aggie gift ideas for the holidays.

Dateline staff

Want to know more about UC Davis Olive Oil and Olives, and Russell Ranch Dried Tomatoes? Better yet, do you want to taste them? You have two opportunities next week:

Olive oil tasting at bookstore

The Olive Center is inviting people to “bring Silo and Gunrock to the holiday table” — meaning the Silo and Gunrock olive oil blends. And don’t forget the olives! A free tasting is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 5) at the main bookstore, Memorial Union.

Campus wine, campus food

We already knew the First Wednesday Wine Flight in December would be special, with the serving of wines from the university’s Oakville Experimental Vineyard in the Napa Valley.

But, in a new announcement, wine flight organizers said University Dining Services will prepare the evening’s food pairings with UC Davis ingredients: olive oil from the Olive Center, meat from the Meat Lab, sun-dried tomatoes from the Russell Ranch Sustainable Agriculture Facility and produce from the Student Farm.

The wine tasting program is scheduled from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 5) at the Gunrock Pub on the south side of the Silo.

The organizers said Mike Anderson, manager of the Oakville Experimental Winery, will talk about grape growing and research, and present a tasting program with some of the vineyard’s Oakville Station wines.

UC Davis is one of only a few of the world’s universities that own vineyards in premium winegrowing regions. The Department of Viticulture and Enology uses the Oakville vineyard — 40 acres of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petite sirah, syrah and zinfandel vines — for experiments aimed at improving viticulture practices.

Much of the research at the Oakville Experimental Vineyard is designed to understand the influence and interaction of field practices on fruit composition and wine quality.

Representatives of the various campus food products are also expected to attend next week’s wine tasting, and UC Davis Olive Oil and Russell Ranch Dried Tomatoes will be available for sale, by representatives from UC Davis Stores.

The pub and University Dining Services sponsor the monthly wine tastings. The cost is $10, and no reservations are required. To reserve a table, purchase tickets in advance, or schedule a private tasting event, call the Gunrock Pub, (530) 752-6262.

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