Sunview Marketing International is headed into a time of the year when the marketer will be going strong on several of its proprietary brands, says Mitch Wetzel.
Wetzel, vice president of sales for Sunview Marketing International, Delano, Calif., said that the Stella Bella, Sunview’s green seedless grape, will be in the market into October. In addition, Sunview had started harvesting Sweet Carnival, the marketer’s golden seedless grape that was introduced several years ago and continues to be in strong demand.
“To complement the Carnival brand line is our new Carnival Fruit Punch red seedless grape,” Wetzel said the second week of September. “That brand is available now and for a limited time only.”
Sunview grows grapes exclusively in the Central Valley of California, with its season starting in early July and finishing at the end of the calendar year with the potential to extend into early January, Wetzel said.
“Sunview provides an uninterrupted source of all colors of conventional and organic grapes from the start until the very end of the season,” he said. “Sunview is proud to be our customers’ single source for grapes. We are one grower, one family and a one-stop shop for table grapes.”
Wetzel said the San Joaquin Valley experienced historic and unprecedented rainfall in August. Sunview farms exclusively on company-owned vineyards that range from the southernmost part of the valley adjacent to the grapevine to north into Tulare County, he said.
“The full effects of the rainfall are not fully quantifiable yet, but we are spending more time with our crews in the vineyards to ensure that our quality does not suffer,” he said.
Wetzel said Sunview is not seeing any appreciable differences in the rain’s effect on conventional versus organic table grapes.
“The effects are dependent on the conditions and areas of the individual locations,” he said. “Rest assured, the industry will continue to supply table grapes until late in the year.”
After the August rains, market prices have been increasing due to the increased costs that growers have had to incur since Hurricane Hilary’s effects on the crop.
“It is important that we continue to monitor and match the supply and on-shelf demand as we determine prices,” he said.
Retailers can maximize California grape sales by putting grapes on front and center displays in their produce departments.
“Consumers are excited about all of the brands and varieties that California supplies to grocery stores this time of year,” Wetzel said. “We get correspondence from consumers all year long just waiting for California grapes to come into season.”
Sunview satisfies both domestic and export customers, Wetzel said.
“We feel that our consistent quality, despite the natural obstacles that we have experienced, has been noticed and valued by our customers and ultimately by consumers across the world,” he said.
Packaging
Wetzel said Sunview has revamped its conventional and organic jumbo raisin packaging.
“We are changing from our legacy cardboard and metal canisters to a new recyclable plastic container that has the added benefit of letting our consumers see the amazing size of our jumbo raisins,” Wetzel said.
The company will debut the packaging at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show, set for Oct. 19-21 in Anaheim, Calif., at booth No. 1157, he said.
