Epic Crisp and Applause brands unveiled at Grape Field Days in Wasco, California
More than 250 people attended Sun World International’s Mid- to Late-Season Table Grape Field Day on 22 August at the company’s Centre for Innovation in Wasco, California.
The annual event brought together licensed growers, marketers, importers, retailers and media partners from around the globe to see first hand how Sun World brings innovative new table grape varieties to market.
“Sun World’s Field Day was a milestone in the company’s history as we introduced the Epic Crisp and Applause brands. It was a privilege to showcase these brands to over 250 of our partners from around the globe,” said Jen Sanchez, vice president of marketing at Sun World. “We are excited to see these brands grow in prominence in the coming years as production volumes increase worldwide.”
During the event, Sun World shared a behind-the-scenes look at its commercial, semi-commercial and pipeline grape varieties in commercial vineyards as well as at its test block at the Centre for Innovation.
Sun World partners saw work taking place to develop and introduce consumer-inspired and grower-friendly table grape varieties such as Sun World’s newest brands, Epic Crisp and Applause, which the breeder said would “help producers, marketers and retailers to increase sales by delivering a high-quality, delicious and consistent eating experience”.
Mecia Petersen, CEO at the South Africa Table Grape Industry (Sati) commented: “It was an honour to be part of the first audience to have exposure to the Epic Crisp and Applause branding at Sun World’s Field Day. Exciting developments are happening in the table grape space, and we look forward to seeing what’s next”.
The Field Day allowed licensed growers and marketers to see mid- to late-season varieties in a setting similar to what they would see in their vineyards, helping them make more informed decisions on their future plantings. Sun World also brought together ag-tech and industry partners who shared their offerings with attendees.
In addition to exploring new varieties, attendees had the opportunity to witness the future of agriculture with Tortuga’s cutting-edge automated robots harvesting grapes in Sun World’s fields.
Director of global marketing insights at Sun World, Elena Hernandez, reported on the progress of Autumncrisp’s global marketing launch and shared a sneak peek of retail partnerships for this autumn, an essential part of building consumer awareness of the brand.
“We know and love Autumncrisp grapes, and now it’s time for consumers to experience and savour them by name,” said Kyle Hackett, president of Dayka & Hackett. “Sun World’s Autumncrisp grape marketing campaign showcased how strong grower partnerships and a well-executed retail strategy can elevate an exceptional product from vineyard to the forefront of consumer demand.”
