New varieties of table grapes gaining favor
Traditional table grape varieties such as flame seedless, sugraone and perlette still have a place in grape-growing regions of Mexico and the California desert, but a number of varieties that were virtually unheard of just a few years ago are gaining acceptance among growers, importers, retailers and consumers.
Divine Flavor LLC, Nogales, Ariz., grows and distributes more than 20 commercial varieties of table grapes, more than 90% of which are grown organically, said Carlos Bon, vice president of sales.
Cotton Candy, Jelly Berries, Gummy Berries, Sweet Celebration, Sweet Globe, Autumncrisp and Candy Hearts are popular varieties the company offers, along with some early grapes such as Prime, Early Sweet, sugraone and flame seedless.
“We were one of the first growers and licensees to look at all these new varieties and have a part in the breeding programs,” Bon said. “We are actually the largest licensee for what we consider the three best breeding programs in the world.”
About 70% of the grapes Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Mas Melons & Grapes LLC offers are traditional ones, said Miguel Suarez, managing partner. But the company also had added some new varieties such as Sweet Globe, Sweet Celebration, Early Sweet and Ivory.
“They keep coming up with new varieties, like genetics exploded at one time,” he said.
Anthony Vineyards, Coachella, Calif., ships 16 grape varieties out of the California desert, said Rob Spinelli, sales manager.
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The company offers Autumncrisp, a green variety from Sun World, plans to increase production of the green seedless Valley Pearl, and also has Ivory and Sweet Globe grapes.
The company’s red seedless selections include Timco and an as-yet unnamed red variety from Sun World International.
New varieties quickly are becoming the norm, said Marc Serpa, director of Mexico and domestic grapes for Vancouver, British Columbia-based Oppy.
“The Early Sweet has been a fantastic variety of ours,” he said.
“Retailers expect to receive a large or extra-large berry with high brix that eats very, very well,” he said.
Los Angeles-based Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms has been farming conventional grapes in Mexico since 2006, said Howard Nager, director of marketing and business development.
The company ships approximately 20 varieties of grapes throughout the Mexico season.
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“Two exceptional varieties that we are shipping are Sweet Globe and Sweet Celebration,” he said.
All of the company’s grape bags and clamshells have been labeled with the Dulcinea brand since 2018, he said.
Nogales-based Fresh Farms starts shipping Sweet Globe and Cotton Candy grapes in March, said salesman Al Voll. Sweet Celebration gets underway in early to mid-April, along with other proprietary varieties.
“The pressure is on the seed breeders to produce a good eating experience,” Voll said. “The eating experience is the thing.”
But he said consumers are more interested in how a bunch of grapes looks than in what they’re called.
“People are impulse buyers with their eyes,” he said. “You want a big, robust bunch of grapes versus small, tiny grapes that look half-dead with shatter in the bag.”
Suarez agreed that consumers generally are not aware of all the new varieties.
“What matters is that they look good, taste sweet and are at the right price,” he said.
In fact, he said there may be too many grape varieties available.
“At the end of the day, there are just green grapes, red grapes and black grapes,” he said.
Sometimes, retailers don’t realize that certain varieties are only available at certain times of the year, Spinelli said.
“They may ask for them outside of their window,” he said. “That makes it a little complicated.”
Despite the extensive selection Divine Flavor offers, Bon said the search continues for new, tasty varieties.
“We test more than 200 varieties every year all across the world,” he said.
Breeders are making breakthroughs, coming up with varieties that combat fungicide issues or that have an attractive skin pigment.
“Recently, a lot of resources are being put into toward grape varieties which offer a better nutritional value,” he said.
