UK consumers will soon have their first taste of an American-bred black seedless grape as the initial commercial shipments of Midnight Beauty® brand grapes arrive in Europe.
The first commercial exports of the new early-ripening black grape departed Cape Town, South Africa, last week and will arrive in the UK early in the new year, continuing through January, according to Sun World - South Africa general manager Johan Jooste. Limited volumes of fruit will be available this season, he said, noting that exports will be handled by Sun World's licensed grape marketers Capespan (Pty) Ltd, The Grape Company (Pty) Ltd and Dole South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
The Midnight Beauty grape was developed in the early-1990s by Sun World International, Inc, at its Bakersfield, California Research & Development Centre. The company introduced the new black seedless grape to US consumers in June 1998.
The variety is derived from a proprietary grapevine ñ called Sugrathirteen ñ that is protected under plant variety rights in South Africa, the US and numerous other countries. It has been tested extensively in California on Sun World's vineyards and in various regions of South Africa where it is now being grown by about 12 leading South African producers in the Orange River and Western Cape growing districts. Fruit will be marketed by Sun World and its international licensees under the Midnight Beauty brand name.
The UK and continental Europe are expected to be key markets for the new seedless grape, said Sun World senior vice president David Marguleas. British consumers, in particular, and increasingly consumers on the European Continent are developing an appreciation for flavourful seedless varieties, he added.
Midnight Beauty grapes feature unusually large bunches of elongated black seedless berries. The grapes themselves, measuring around 22mm in diameter ñ nearly twice the size of a regular black seedless grape ñ with crunchy texture and sweet flavour. The new variety is related to Sun World's Sugraone (Superior Seedless® brand) grape and was developed to ripen simultaneously with it ñ about two weeks ahead of the Thompson Seedless variety.
One of the United States' leading producers and marketers of fresh deciduous fruit, Sun World also operates one of the world's largest table grape breeding programmes.
Since its inception in the mid-1970s, the company's research & development centre has released more than 60 new varieties which it said have improved flavour, size, colour, shelf-life and extended seasonality.
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