Bakersfield, Calif.-based International Food Genetics has created Jack’s Salute, a new grape variety, designed to honor the late Jack Pandol Sr.
Courtesy Pandol Bros. “We were looking for something we could name for him,” said Jack Pandol Jr., co-owner of IFG. “Unfortunately we just didn’t come up with anything before he passed away.”
Pandol died Aug. 4, 2010.
Jack’s Salute, a red seedless grape, is a mid-season to mid-late season variety, Pandol said.
The grapes are oval to elongated, a different shape than that of crimsons, he said.
Harvesting of a test plot of Jack’s Salute began Sept. 12 and will conclude the week of Sept. 26, he said.
Pandol Bros. Inc., Delano, Calif., has the variety’s exclusive test-marketing rights.
“We’ll have a limited volume of about 4,500 boxes this year,” said Mike Renzi, salesman. “We anticipate the last of the Jack’s Salutes will be shipped by the end of the month.”
IFG breeders thought the variety had potential and experimented with different rootstocks, Pandol said.
“The fruit quality is really nice with great color, very firm berries, virtually no shatter and average sugar of this crop is 21-22 brix,” Pandol said. “It has really, really shown its colors this year – better than we thought it would be.”
Whether more Jack’s Salute acreage is planted after this introductory year will depend on customer response, Renzi said.
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