Maybe he'll become big donor to Aggie Athletics too!

The addition of Wade to the advisory board is part of an ongoing effort to recruit a more diverse student body to the program, which is ranked among the best in the world, and in the longer run to make the wine industry more inclusive to people of all backgrounds.

“I’m excited to join forces with UC Davis to support their efforts in bringing more diversity to the wine industry and make it more inclusive,” Wade said in a statement. “Wine is for everyone, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members to create meaningful and impactful change.”

According to a recent estimate by the Association of African-American Vintners, only about one-tenth of one percent of the winemakers and brand owners in the United States are Black.

https://www.davisenterprise.com/news/local/dwyane-wade-joins-uc-davis-advisory-board/?utm_source=DE&utm_campaign=def53e749c-Daily_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_be64fee185-def53e749c-171004309

Facts about D Wade—
1. Didn’t ever finish college and was academically ineligible for a substantial portion of his college career.
2. Doesn’t actually make wine and has admitted knowing little about it other than enjoying drinking it. Has hired Pahlmeyer (FYI, not Black-owned) to produce it.

A wine-maker he is not. He is an already-wealthy person trying to diversify his investment portfolio and monetize his name/image/likeness in new ways. Nothing wrong with that at all, but none of that suggests he should be the face of the finest viticulture program in the world unless it’s a vanity position for some forthcoming major donation.

It appears he is part of a threesome of DEI additions which includes a Houston / DC based writer, and the vitner for Le Pelle Wines. I went to his website, all 5 wines are sold out.

The description of the Executive Board includes "wine appreciators and selected colleagues".

https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/uc-davis-announces-new-viticulture-and-enology-executive-leadership-board-members

I wholeheartedly support this. We do not do enough of this stuff. Many universities do more of this and do it well. V & E is our most prestigious department and it is right that they start with them. It has the potential to bring in a lot of dollars to UCD if used wisely. Yes, big names work: Wade, Waters, Mondavi and many more are out there. I think UCDs Shaun Keister is doing a great job! Let’s do more!