Academic Programs & Partnerships

About

Fieldnotes Wine works with universities and institutions to design programs that use wine and food as entry points into deeper questions about history, heritage, and power. My PhD research examined how cultural heritage is reshaped in response to political agendas and international pressure. That perspective informs my work now, where wine becomes a way to explore how landscapes, traditions, and identities are constructed—not just inherited—and how they are evolving under the pressures of climate change and shifting politics.

Ways of Working Together

  • Study abroad and short-term academic programs

  • Faculty-led travel design and support

  • Alumni and community wine programming

  • Guest lectures and course collaborations

  • Place-based learning modules focused on food, wine, and cultural heritage

Approach

Programs are designed to move beyond surface-level experience. Wine and food are treated not as standalone subjects, but as entry points into larger systems—of history, labor, landscape, and identity. Whether in Italy or in a classroom setting, the goal is to help students and participants learn how to observe, interpret, and engage with place in a more meaningful way.

Italy-Based Programs

Programs in Italy are structured around immersive, place-based learning. Rather than moving quickly from site to site, participants are encouraged to spend time observing landscapes, engaging with producers, and understanding how history, environment, and contemporary pressures shape what ends up in the glass.

  • Vineyard and cellar visits with producers

  • Historic and neighborhood-based fieldwork

  • Market visits and food systems exploration

  • Guided discussions and structured reflection

  • Optional wine education sessions tied to course themes

Background

  • PhD in Archaeology, Stanford University

  • Research focused on cultural heritage, political change, and international influence

  • Experience designing and leading student programs in Italy

  • Background in research and user experience, bringing structure and intentionality to program design

  • Deep familiarity with Italian regions, producers, and cultural contexts

Key areas of focus

  • Wine and food as lenses into heritage, identity, and power

  • Cultural heritage as contested and politically constructed

  • Tourism, globalization, and their impact on local communities

  • Landscape as a product of historical and political change

  • Climate change and its impact on agricultural and cultural systems

  • Questions of authenticity, tradition, and who defines them

Start a Conversation

I’m always happy to talk through ideas. Whether you’re building a new program, expanding an existing one, or exploring ways to integrate food and wine into your curriculum, please reach out!