Violante at the Davis University, California

Violante at the Davis University, California

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( Cinelli Colombini, Jr.)

I’m currently at the Davis  University in California, this is the most famous wine business training centre in the world. The university is enormous and feels almost like a small town.  It is full of loads of tall buildings but bizarrely there is also a barn full of cows! -and  I have spied some cheer leaders!!

The lessons are wicked!!!.  On the first day we were given a list of technical  words to learn so we could better understand our future lessons. It also seems to be just like in Italy where every teacher has his or her own agenda!
What  have we been taught about the American wine market so far? Well, Greg Ralston,  a former wine importer showed us that U.S. importing of wine increased from $ 20 million in 1990 to $71 million two years ago. Not bad huh? And also the total expenditure on wine twenty years ago was $ 136 million and  now it is $ 269,000,000!!!. Uahuuuu, no drop in consumption here, it’s like a gold mine!!!  We then noted that the Australians, in the last ten years, have equalled  the number of cases that we have sold in Italy and that the French have achieved half the turnover of Italy by selling only a third of the number of bottles. Lucky them!

Here we are outside of the formal classroom atmosphere in the local market which takes place every Wednesday from 4 to 8.30pm  and every Saturday morning. It’s the time of the week  when the Americans relax together  either just camped out on the lawn eating  food bought at the market stands or dancing to the live music.There are all kinds of people here, adults with families, young people with their friends, with everyone from the youngest children to  the most elderly grandparents all  having fun and dancing like crazy!!

Davis University in the summertime what a fantastic experience!  Too bad that although the days are warm it is very cold at night. I have to have three blankets on my bed to keep warm. The difference between here and  Montalcino is amazing.

Violante Gardini