Winemaking runs in deep in Alissa's family roots.
William Cruess, Alissa's great uncle, was the son of first-generation Irish immigrants.
He grew up impoverished in San Miguel, California, and went on to earn his B.S. degree in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1911, then taught there from 1911 to 1954.
During his years at UC Berkeley, Cruess co-founded the field of food science, established the technology of fruit dehydration, and came up with the mix that brought the “fruit cocktail” into homes and restaurants everywhere.
The UC Berkeley food science department was later transferred to the campus of the University of California, Davis, during World War II. It was during this time that he moved his research from Berkeley to Davis, helping to restore wine in California after the repeal of Prohibition. He eventually helped to establish what is now regarded as the nation's premier university for growing grapes and wine, the Viticulture & Enology Department at UC Davis.
His wife Marie was an acclaimed artist. Following graduation from Polytechnic High School, she took courses at the Art Students League in San Francisco and then New York, where she studied under Hans Hoffman. She also studied in Paris and Rome before returning to the Bay Area, taking a teaching job in the public school system while residing in Oakland with her sister and parents.
In 1917 she met and married William Cruess. They settled in Berkeley where she continued to paint and exhibit. Primarily an oil painter of landscapes, she experimented with various modern idioms.
The Cruess' traveled frequently, camping and hiking throughout the Sierras and elsewhere in California with seasoned naturalists, including John Muir. These trips provided inspiration for much of Marie's work. In 1930 the adventurous couple toured Cairo on camelback, and traveled to the wine regions of Europe to further William's research.
Upon searching through old black-and-white photos of Professor Cruess and his wife Marie, we found some real treasures.
There are photos of William and Marie in Cairo, camelback in the 1930s with the great pyramids in the background. William, in suit and tie, teaching winemaking to UC students. Dozens of camping photos from deep in the Sierra backcountry with a string of freshly caught trout and a canvas tent in the background. Marie with her acclaimed artwork that now serves as the inspiration for our wine labels. We admire their pioneering spirit, their adventurous lifestyle, and their devotion to both science and the arts.
