A visit to several vineyards in both South Africa and Namibia has given some great insights into the performance of the Grapa program, says Georgios Bitsakos, head of brand marketing for Grapa: "This season I had the chance to visit all the main growing regions in South Africa, and travel on to Namibia for the first time. Walking those vineyards together with our exclusive territorial representative's team of TopFruit, I saw in real time how a portfolio of varieties, old and new, is shaping the future of the grape category for both growers and buyers."
© Grapa company
One region in particular has made a real impression on Bitsakos, he explains. "The Limpopo region in particular has stayed with me. The conditions there are unforgiving with heat, humidity, and unpredictable weather patterns. And yet the standard of farming is exceptionally high. Disciplined, precise, and relentlessly focused on quality, bunch after bunch. In that environment, the weather resilience of the Grapa genetics is not a marketing slogan. It's what allows growers to protect yield and keep programs on track."
This season marked the first commercial crop of ARRA Fire Crunch™ from a few full-scale plots in South Africa. "Seeing this variety on a commercial scale and not just in trials was a turning point. ARRA Fire Crunch delivers the bright red colour, explosive crunch, and a sweet flavour that buyers and consumers are looking for in a modern red seedless grape, that they can confidently program," Bitsakos states.
© Grapa companyOn the left is the ARRA Fire Crunch, on the right is the ARRA Honey Pop.
"Alongside it, ARRA Honey Pop™ is now in its second year of production in early regions. When we visited Namibia, it was already all harvested, but the growers left a few bunches on the vine for us to enjoy. ARRA Honey Pop was bred as a very early white seedless, but what stood out in the field is how it combines strong yields with a crisp bite and approachable sweetness, even under tough conditions. For growers, that means hectares that can produce well from day one. For retailers and importers, it offers an early-window eating experience that can offer a reliable solution at the start of the season."
Alongside the new genetics, the trip was a reminder of how important the established varieties remain in South Africa's and Namibia's mix, Bitsakos emphasizes. "Early Sweet, now around 20 years in the market, is still being planted. In the right hands and the right locations, it continues to give growers a reliable early-season solution, supporting income at a point in the calendar when cash flow and market presence are both critical. The fact that it is still relevant after two decades says a lot about the underlying genetics and the way growers have refined their protocols."
© Grapa companyARRA Sweeties
Bitsakos estimates that ARRA Sweeties™ remains one of the most profitable, if not the most profitable, varieties grown in South Africa and Namibia: "Across multiple farms and regions, we saw blocks that were clearly delivering on both yield and return. We are very happy to see that some of the best growers have now fully adapted their growing protocols to their own farms, and the results are simply amazing."
ARRA Passion Fire™ also continues to attract strong interest from buyers, Bitsakos states. "Its combination of deep red colour, large berry size and sweet flavour makes it a natural fit for all markets.
© Grapa company
According to Bitsakos, these regional visits are not optional for Grapa: "These trips are the foundation of how we manage brand integrity and connect farming to marketing. Brand integrity, for us, starts with understanding what is happening in each vineyard. The climate, soil, water, labour, experience, and mindset behind every bunch. Only when we see that reality first-hand can we promise a consistent experience to a retailer in London, Rotterdam, Toronto, or Hong Kong."
"This first full tour of the Southern African regions was more than a learning trip. It was a confirmation that, when the right genetics meet committed growers and a disciplined brand approach, you can build grape programs that are resilient, profitable, and genuinely aligned from vineyard to shelf," Bitsakos concludes.
For more information:
Georgios Bitsakos
Grapa Global
[email protected]
www.grapaes.com
