North American importer Giumarra has announced the first arrivals of its Nature’s Partner-brand grapes, grown in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
According to the group, shipments have begun and initial varieties include Early Sweet green seedless and Summer Royal black seedless, followed by Perlette green seedless and Flame red seedless.
Passion Fire red seedless and Arra 30 green seedless will start in late May and finish mid-June, while Sugraone green seedless will also start in late May and conclude the season in late June.
“We are prepared to support our retail customers with a robust promotional push for the spring grape season,” said Tom Wilson, grape sales manager for the Giumarra Companies. “Volumes will be excellent for Memorial Day ad pricing. We recommend displaying as many varieties as possible for maximum sales impact.”
Early Sweet is the earliest commercial green seedless variety in the market and was developed by Giumarra, which owns the licensing rights. Giumarra and its growing partners have been growing Early Sweet since 2014 and estimate this season’s volumes to be the highest ever.
“Early Sweet meets both consumer and retailer demands for a high quality green seedless grape early in the season. This year, sizing will be exceptional,” Wilson noted.
Passion Fire is Giumarra’s newest proprietary variety, debuting in commercial volumes this year from the company and its licensee partners, with berries featuring bright red, full colour with crunchy, sweet flesh.
Giumarra’s final proprietary offering, Arra 30, is a green seedless grape with juicy flesh and a unique, sweet flavour.
“The consumer excitement surrounding the grape category offers extensive opportunities for introducing new varieties to market,” said Kellee Harris, western region business director for the Giumarra Companies. “These new offerings give consumers more choices for healthy snacking, salads, and desserts as we move into the warmer weather months.”
