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Apr 23, 2008 4:37 pm US/Pacific
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Off The Beaten Path: Cap'n Crunch
EL DORADO (CBS13) ―
Chaim Di Aria just lights up when he talks about his latest creations at his winery near Mt. Aukum.
"This is my first Estate Syrah," he says.
This winery is only a few years old, but has been winning lots of awards and recently took ten of ten in a prestigious contest.
Of course the man behind the wine is pretty interesting too. At 73, Chaim has had quite a life. Born in Turkey, raised in Israel where he became an army tank commander. Then off to America to get a doctorate in food science.
But long before Chaim got into grapes, he was into something else. He's the man who invented Captain Crunch.
He developed the process for manufacturing this cereal and he went on to create many of the convenience foods we know today.
The fruit cups, the Jello cups and the pudding cups.
And don't forget easy store yogurt and those plastic packets of Ketchup. But now, Chaim says those junk food invention days are behind him.
"Like Cap'n Crunch, they said we want this kinds of cereal shaped like pillows. So, I had to do what other people asked me to do, now with wine I am doing what I want to do," explains Chaim.
Now Chaim and his wife, Elisheva are creating 70 acres of fine grapes, building this entertainment center and learning all about the art of winemaking.
"He sets very high standards for himself, for the team and he challenges all of us," says Elisheva.
I had to ask if he plans to release a special Cap'n Crunch edition wine.
"They won't take me seriously. He wants to be taken seriously," says Chaim.
But that legacy of a household name and cereal that foes crunch just keeps following Chaim, although modified a bit now to suit his new profession.
Chaim also developed powered ranch dressings, and those onion rings shaped snacks. But because he was working for big food companies, he couldn't keep the patents on his inventions.
And while Chaim invented the cereal, Captain Crunch, the name and character were actually created by Jay Ward Animation, the creators of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
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