Baby Boomers continue to ratchet up their spending for premium wines, and Millennials -- expensive in their tastes -- are adopting wine twice as fast. At the same time, the forces of international competition, corporate consolidation and the liberalization of interstate wine-shipping laws in the U.S. present both opportunities and challenges for the wine industry at all levels, from big producers and distributors to boutique wineries.

Against this backdrop, the Graduate School of Management and Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis, offer the sixth annual UC Davis Wine Executive Program from March 12 to 16 in Sacramento.

The professional development program focuses on the fundamental winemaking and management skills that are critical to success in the business -- and art -- of making and selling wine.

Led by UC Davis faculty and guest lecturers, the curriculum includes sessions on financial management, winemaking practices, marketing and branding, cost analysis and control, the latest grape and wine research, and operating modern wineries and vineyards. A fourth day includes advanced sessions on legal issues in the wine industry and managing vineyard and winery operations.

Sessions open to the members of the working media include:

• Monday, 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. -- The Wine Industry: A Global Perspective; Robert Smiley, professor and director of wine studies for the Graduate School of Management
• Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. -- Vineyard Challenges: Winemaking from the Ground Up; Professor Andy Walker and James Wolpert, chair and Cooperative Extension viticulture specialist, both in the Department of Viticulture and Enology
• Wednesday, 10:15 a.m. to noon -- The Vineyard and Winery of the Future; Professor Linda Bisson and James Wolpert, chair and Cooperative Extension viticulture specialist, both in the Department of Viticulture and Enology
• Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. -- "Case" Studies: Legal Issues in the Wine Industry; Attorney Richard P. Mendelson of Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty

The program, which draws attendees from around the world, is tailored for middle and senior managers from wineries and vineyards of all sizes, industry suppliers, distributors, financial institutions, service providers and affiliated businesses. By attracting such a broad national and international flavor, the program offers stimulating discussion about wine business practices and valuable networking opportunities. Registration for the program remains open until Friday, March 10.

Classes will be held at the management school's facilities at One Capitol Mall in Sacramento.

Sponsors of the executive education program include Wine Business Monthly, Seguin Moreau, Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Rabobank, Delicato Vineyards, Wells Fargo, American Ag Credit, Wines & Vines, Harris Nesbitt Investment and Corporate Banking, Comerica Bank and Silicon Valley Bank.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.wineexecutiveprogram.com or call (530) 754-6450.