Mountain View expands premium table grape program with 3 varieties

Mountain View Fruit Sales will be highlighting three varieties for the upcoming season of its Estate Vineyards table grape program.

The Reedley, Calif.-based company introduced its premium table grape program last summer under the Estate Vineyards label, led by Grape Division Director George Matoian.

"We will have our first candy variety with Candy Snaps, available in our Estate Vineyards brand,” Matoian said in a news release. "And we are one of [only a] few growers in California to have the newly released USDA black seedless grape variety, Solbrio, in production. We will also offer the highly coveted, concord-flavored Kyoho black seeded grape this season.”

Packs will be available in traditional corrugated cartons, new plastic corrugated cartons, and Styrofoam, the release said.

Matoian said Mountain View is “catching up a little from last year's start dates” as the 2023 season nears.

“We are approximately eight to nine days behind last year's crop. On most varieties we are at the leaf removal and bunch thinning stages,” he said. “The good news is this year's bunches are some of the largest I have seen in many years and the cells of the grape berry are rapidly dividing to give us the maximum berry size we require."

"Mountain View will have increased volume this season on both premium and proprietary grape varieties," owner Mike Thurlow said in the release. "We are expecting fantastic quality again this year, and we believe 2023 will be a vintage grape season."

About Mountain View Fruit Sales

• Established in 1994 with a vision focused on growing flavorful peaches, plums and nectarines on family farms packed under the brands Summeripe, Summertime and Summersweet.
• In 2017, Mountain View expanded its portfolio to include premium citrus packed under the brands Rascals, Brilliant and Aces.
• In 2022, Mountain View expanded its portfolio to include a premium grape program under the brand Estate Vineyards.