Meseguer Establishments started marketing Aledo grapes from Spain approximately 10 days ago. A variety which the company sells under the premium Anabella brand. “It is not a typical year for the Aledo from Spain. First, we started the campaign with more limited volumes than in previous years. The complicated weather, with regular rainfall and cold spells, finally pushed us to operate on a wider selection right from the beginning of the season,” explains Benoît Maillard-Guillon of Meseguer Establishments.
The campaign starts with high prices
In addition to this agronomic reality, the shortage of Italia grapes also has consequences on the market. “Although the situation is complicated for most fruit and vegetables at the moment, the demand for Aledo grapes from Spain remains sustained. This phenomenon can be explained partly by the fact that the Italia season ended very early this year. The volumes were indeed so limited that the campaign ended mid-November instead of late December. This led to an early start for the sales of Aledo grapes from Spain, with high prices. The demand for this variety from other countries like Italy is very high this year.”
The taste quality improves each year
The variety is very popular this year, partly thanks to the quality of the grapes. “The selection may have been wider early in the campaign, but the quality of the product is really satisfactory this year. I have been working with Aledo grapes for about fifteen years, and the product has always been visually very appealing, but the taste quality has clearly improved, which facilitates sales. Nowadays, consumers seek the Aledo grapes for their sweetness, smoothness and their aroma, no longer only for its golden color to decorate their festive meals.”
An opportunity for the Premium Anabella brand
Given the limited volumes and significant demand, it is very likely that the campaign of Aledo grapes from Spain will also end earlier than in previous years. “We are not sure if we will make it to Christmas and we do not want to speculate. Our priority is to satisfy our clients with a product that is as fresh as possible. So we do not want to harvest everything at the same time and store the production in fridges until Christmas just to sell it at a better price but a lesser quality. Our Premium Anabella brand clearly has a card to play this year. We must offer our clients an impeccable product of high quality in order to win the trust of the consumer. This is a particular year without any competition from Italia, so it is an opportunity to build the credibility of Anabella. It will be beneficial for seedless grapes and stone fruits sold under the same brand.”
For more information:
Ets Meseguer
Benoît Maillard-Guillon
Phone: +33 146 864 170
[email protected]
www.etsmeseguer.fr
