New table grape varieties to extend Australian season
The white AUTUMN CRISP® and black ADORA SEEDLESS® table grape varieties were commercially developed by Sun World in California and will be released in Australia by Perfection Fresh Australia and Costa Group.
“We’ve been growing these varieties since 2012 via small trial lots in the Sunraysia region,” Perfection Fresh Australia CEO Michael Simonetta says. “This is the first year of small commercial volumes for both varieties.”
As well being planted in the Sunraysia region on the east coast of Australia, the two varieties have been taken up by growers in Western Australia’s Carnarvon and Swan Valley regions.
Mr Simonetta says they plan to gradually introduce these varieties to the market, and production will follow accordingly.
“Our strategy is to increase production in a staged approach for the purpose of allowing the market to become accustomed to these new late season varietals,” he says.
“We plan to harvest and sell these grapes fresh in March to April – which is their harvest window.”
The Costa Group’s Elliot Jones says that both AUTUMN CRISP® and ADORA SEEDLESS® have qualities that set them apart from other options on the market.
“AUTUMN CRISP® are supremely large and plump and seedless with a superbly sweet and refreshing flavour,” he says.
"It has snap and crunch when you bite into this wonderful grape – their appearance and size sets them apart from other varieties – as a late season grape they are the only white grape on the market in March.”
ADORA SEEDLESS®, on the other hand, is a black variety that Mr Jones sees as “a game changer in size and quality.”
“It has an extra-large berry size, sweet flavour and a crisp-juicy texture.”
Mr Simonetta adds that they are very happy with the quality for the current season – which is set to begin harvest in March.
“Quality is excellent,” he says. “The size and colour for both varieties are very good.”
AUTUMN CRISP® and ADORA SEEDLESS® will be sold on the Australian domestic market and selected export markets that are set to get trial samples.
“This will give them a taste for what is to come in terms of quality, size and flavour,” Mr Jones says.
Images courtesy of Perfection Fresh and Costa Group.
For more information:
Helen Waterworth
Perfection Fresh
Ph: +612 9763 1877
Email: helen.waterworth@perfection.com.au
www.perfection.com.au
www.costagroup.com.au