To get an idea of the 2014 grape season in Italy and the expectation for the time to come, Jan Prinsen of the Belgian Fresh Food Institute visited several areas between Bari and Brindisi last week. He indicates that the season is only really getting started now. "The grapes had a slight delay compared to previous years. July was less warm, causing the grapes to ripen more evenly and slower."
Beautiful ripened grapes
Jan has seen several beautiful bunches of grapes, including Italia grapes. "They were evenly shaped and attached nicely to the cluster, not too close to each other. Apart from Italia, there were also Red Globe and beautiful Seedless grapes. The weather was lovely last week, lots of sun every day and a bit of wind: ideal for the grapes. This week the weather was also still great for the grapes, with a little bit of downpour. So from now on we can expect plenty of beautiful, naturally ripened Italia grapes."
Click here for the photo report
According to the fresh produce adviser, prices are at a normal to good level this week. "A good price is necessary, since there's a lot of manual labour involved in picking quality grapes and shipping them to Belgium and the Netherlands in good condition." Jan advises the grape sellers: "Fully enjoy the delicious and beautiful Italian grapes. Make an effort to give the product enough attention and space in presentation. Also, tasting still works wonders in sales."
In the photo report, Jan shows that he visited a few specialists in both grapes with and without seeds. A part of the study trip was all about the changing use in the Netherlands and Belgium when it comes to consumption of grapes with and without seeds. More news on that will follow.
If you want to know and see more about grapes, take a look at our site www.belgianfreshfoodinstitute.be under the heading grapes.
If you want to know and see more about grapes, take a look at our site www.belgianfreshfoodinstitute.be under the heading grapes.