Saviez Family Endowment - Francois Saviez and Domenico Barberis Memorial

 

The Ag One - Saviez Family Endowed Francois Saviez and Domenico Barberis Memorial Scholarship was established by Frank and Alice Saviez to recognize and memorialize the important role of Frank's grandfathers in the establishment of the California Wine industry and to acknowledge and support California State University, Fresno's continuing commitment to the education of California's future wine industry leaders.

The Saviez and Barberis names have been synonymous with the California Napa Valley wine industry from its very beginning. Francois Saviez (1857 - 1945) and Domenico Barberis (1880 - 1944), Frank Saviez's grandfathers, emigrated to the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Francois arrived in California from the French Provencal wine-producing region of Var in 1883, and Domenico from Liguria, Italy, in the early 1900's. Both settled in California's Napa Valley and were instrumental in establishing the Napa Valley grape and wine industries. 

Frank was born in 1930 and raised in Calistoga, California, in the midst of Prohibition and the start of the Great Depression. He attended UC Davis where he earned a degree in viticulture and lettered in football, baseball and track and field. After college, he served in the US military for 2 years. He began his agriculture career in the plant protection industry in the state of Washington. In 1956 he accepted a position with Wilbur-Ellis Company in Fresno, achieving the position of vice president and division manager at his retirement in 1995. After his retirement, Frank continued to serve on the Wilbur-Ellis board of directors for the next decade. 

In 1967, Frank married the former Alice Collins. In 1969, they established their home along the San Joaquin River to the west of Fresno where they have raised their three children - Mark, Michael, and Nicole. 

Frank and Alice then planted a vineyard along the San Joaquin River. Their plantings consisted of varieties that could be used to supplement wine grapes that were being grown by a cousin in Napa Valley. Growing varietals in the San Joaquin Valley was unheard of in the 1960's. Thompson seedless grapes were the predominate variety in the region since they could be used for either wine production or dried as raisins or sold as fresh table grapes. To this day, the Saviez Family successfully grows several wine grape varietals. Over the years the Saviez Family have donated tons of grapes to CSU, Fresno, which students have turned into award winning wines. Through his care and viticulture practices, Frank Saviez has demonstrated conclusively that the varieties he grows along the San Joaquin River will produce amongst the best premium quality wines.

Both Frank and Alice have been involved at Fresno State and within the Central Valley community for decades. In 1985, at the request of the late viticulture professor, Dr. Vincent E. Petrucci, Frank volunteered to help advance grape growing and wine making resources on campus. He has been involved ever since. Alice has unselfishly given her time, talent, and energy to countless organizations in our community. She has supported numerous charitable organizations including the arts, education, child advocacy, health care, and the Catholic Church. Her long list of honors and awards testifies to her involvement. She has received the Common Threads award from the California Farm Bureau Federation as well as the Women of Influence award from the Fresno City and County Chamber of Commerce. She has been recognized for her contributions by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, Former Mayor Allan Autry, the City of Fresno, Former U.S. Representative George Radanovich, Justice Charles S. Poochigian, Former U.S. Representative Calvin Dooley, and U.S. Representative Jim Costa. In addition to her many charitable endeavors, Alice has also served on the California Business Incubator Board and the Water Energy and Technology Center located on the Fresno State campus.

This scholarship is given preference to student athletes who are majoring in Viticulture or enology, agricultural business or plant science.