As the Mexican table grape season begins to ramp up, early Sonoran harvests are already making their way to market, with first arrivals landing in late April and early May, says Divine Flavor. For the Nogales, Ariz.-based grower-importer and its parent company, Grupo Alta, the 2026 season marks an exciting milestone in early-season innovation with the first harvests of Arra Honey Pop.
Developed in partnership with Grapa Global, Arra Honey Pop represents years of collaborative trials aimed at redefining expectations for early-season grapes, the company says. The goal was to deliver a white seedless variety that combines true earliness with exceptional eating quality, something Divine Flavor says has long been considered difficult to achieve.
“Each year, we are seeing breakthroughs in grape varietal development and innovation within the category — whether it’s sweeter, larger grapes, improved harvest timing or refined flavor profiles,” says Alan Aguirre Camou of Divine Flavor. “Arra Honey Pop is exactly the type of early-season white seedless grape we’ve been looking for, and while this year’s crop is still limited as we continue expanding plantings, we’ve been extremely impressed with what we’ve seen so far in our vineyards.
“The fruit has shown outstanding sweetness, crunch and flavor, and we’re very excited about the future potential of this variety in the seasons ahead,” Aguirre Camou continues.
A Grape Designed to Overcome Challenges
According to Grapa’s commercial team, Arra Honey Pop was developed to overcome a long-standing industry challenge: achieving full flavor, texture and appearance in grapes harvested at the very start of the season.
“It’s our genetics that have made true earliness possible without compromising quality,” says Shachar Karniel, breeder at Grapa Global. “There has long been an assumption that early-season grapes cannot fully develop texture and flavor, but with this new generation — including Arra Honey Pop, Arra Fire Kiss and Arra Fire Crunch — we’re proving that both sweetness and crunch can be fully realized, even at the earliest harvest timing.”
Beyond eating quality, the variety offers strong advantages in the field, says the company. With high fertility, uniform ripening and minimal intervention required, Arra Honey Pop delivers consistent fruit quality from vine to market.
Built for the Supply Chain
From a commercial standpoint, Arra Honey Pop has demonstrated impressive postharvest performance — an essential trait for global distribution, the company says.
“Our genetics allowed us to avoid common issues like browning, which is often associated with muscat-flavored grape varieties,” says Nomi Karniel-Padan, commercial director at Grapa Global.
Karniel-Padan says this has enabled Arra Honey Pop to maintain its clean appearance and quality while still delivering a subtle hint of muscat flavor.
“The grape has a clean, creamy appearance and strong berry attachment, making it ideal for export,” says Karniel-Padan. “When you bite into it, you get that firm, crunchy texture with a light honeydew flavor that consumers really respond to. It consistently arrives in excellent condition, even across longer supply chains.”
For growers within Divine Flavor and Grupo Alta’s network, one of the standout advantages has been operational simplicity, say the companies. Unlike many early varieties that require multiple harvest passes, Arra Honey Pop can often be picked in a single pass, ensuring uniform maturity and quality, they say.
Expanding the Early-Season Portfolio
In addition to a white grape, the partnership between Divine Flavor, Grupo Alta and Grapa Global is also setting the stage for a broader early-season lineup.
“The ‘Grapa Red Factor’ is truly a game changer,” says Karniel-Padan. “It begins with Arra Fire Kiss, followed by Arra Fire Crunch, creating a much-needed early-season red offering for the industry.”
Divine Flavor says Arra Fire Kiss challenges the notion that early reds must sacrifice quality, offering full red color, balanced sweetness and a complete eating experience at the front end of the season. It is followed by Arra Fire Crunch, which it says delivers exceptional crispness and a vibrant red color that maintains its brightness, combining visual appeal with a satisfying bite.
Looking Ahead
While Arra Honey Pop remains in its early stages of production in Mexico, the promising results seen this season have reinforced Divine Flavor and Grupo Alta’s commitment to expanding plantings and continuing investment in next-generation early-season grape varieties, the companies say.
Together with Grapa Global, the companies say they are focused not only on advancing the future of early-season grape supply but also on elevating what retailers and consumers can expect from grapes at the very start of the season.
