Bill Murphy, co-founder and owner of Clos LaChance Winery, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Visitors and Fellows at U.C. Davis’ Department of Viticulture & Enology.
As Chairman, Murphy will lead a talented group of board members who represent the wine industry community, including vintners, wine growers, business leaders, finance executives and researchers.
This board plays an integral role in helping the university raise funds and build new teaching and research facilities for the Department of Viticulture & Enology. Board members also serve as ambassadors of the department by building awareness of the research and programs generated by the students and faculty.
“U.C. Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology is the best program in the world for teaching the art of viticulture and winemaking,” says Murphy. “I look forward to helping the university work more closely with the wine industry in providing education, research and outreach.”
Murphy co-founded Clos LaChance Winery with his wife Brenda in 1992 after planting a small backyard vineyard at their home in Saratoga, Calif. Since the winery’s inception, Murphy has built Clos LaChance into an estate-based winery producing more than 80,000 cases annually.
