The university is headquartered in the city of Berkeley in Alameda County, on the mainland side of San Francisco Bay in the US state of California. Additional branches are located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Davis. In 1880, it was decided to add viticulture and enology as new branches. However, since Berkeley had too poor climatic conditions for viticulture, an inland branch was established in the city of Davis (Davis is frequent shorthand for the viticulture branch). Eugene Hilgard, an agriculture professor at the time, noted (as one of several) the great importance of grafting in the fight against phylloxera and the connection between climate and the grape variety suitable for it. Prohibition (1920-1933) severely curtailed these activities. Shortly after the lifting of prohibition, the viticulture department was revived at the university in 1935. The focus was on the analysis of grape varieties and the training of the new generation of winemakers.
In 1944, after extensive research, the Californian wine-growing regions were divided into five climatic zones according to the heat summation method (see the classification under California), with the scientist Albert J. Winkler (1894-1989) making a particularly valuable contribution. The oenologist and publicist Maynard A. Amerine (1911-1998) dedicated himself to the study of the suitability of grape varieties for different climatic zones and to the reconstruction of viticultural knowledge lost through Prohibition. Dr. Harold P. Olmo (1909-2006) became known for his numerous new varieties and worldwide consulting activities. The vine specialist Dr. Carole Meredith clarified the origin of some grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel by means of DNA analyses. At the university, Prof. Ann C. Noble (*1935) developed the so-called aroma wheel in the mid-1980s, in which wine aromas are divided into 12 main groups. Most of the viticulture and cellar technology professionals working in California were and are trained in Davis.
