A unique journey through coffee, flavor and science. 

This 7-day experience will engage both producers and roasters to deeply explore the science behind coffee from multiple angles and different perspectives. In addition to key educational visits to roasters in California's bay area, participants will also have the opportunity to visit Napa Valley’s celebrated wine scene and learn about the science behind flavor and sensory experience from top winemakers. 

The highlight of the journey will be a visit to the innovative Coffee Center at the University of California, Davis. Born from a "Coffee Initiative" launched by UC Davis that brought together faculty interested in coffee research, the Coffee Center has been pushing the forefront of cutting edge coffee science and education. 

The participant will get to learn from top speakers and experience sensory sessions guided by celebrated researchers and professors that lead the coffee, beer and wine programs at UC Davis.

The UC Davis Coffee Center

The UC Davis Coffee Center is the first multidisciplinary university research center to address the challenges and needs of the coffee industry through a holistic approach to coffee science and education. The Center currently features a 1,200 square foot teaching laboratory entirely dedicated to coffee science and facilitates small group, hands-on experiential learning. Over 35 faculty members engaged in coffee research comprise the Coffee Center with expertise in a wide scope of fields including chemistry, genetics, bio-agricultural engineering, economics, sustainability, and sensory and consumer science. Some current areas of research include:

• Fermentation microbiology
• Chemical and biological degradation during green bean storage
• Chemical kinetics and reaction pathways during roasting
• Energy efficiency during roasting and brewing
• Identification and characterization of flavor molecules
• Sensory and consumer science
• Biological effects on consumption
• Nutritional effects on health