US: Mutant grapes? No, they're giant Holiday seedless
Holiday seedless grapes are something special. Bigger-than-your-thumb huge and incredibly sweet, these grapes are grown only in Delano, in the southern San Joaquin Valley, by Columbine Vineyards, a fourth-generation farm that dates back to 1926.
The family patriarch, Marin Caratan, spent his entire life pursuing one passion: the perfect table grape. That same passion rubbed off on great-grandson Luis Caratan. He spent more than 20 years doing more than 225,000 cross-breedings to develop the Holiday. It was bred to be the last of the season, hence its memorable name.
Caratan uses a technique called leafing to encourage growth. He removes all the leaves from around the clusters, exposing it to more sunlight, which means more sugar. He also spends a lot of effort bunch-thinning, an expensive process early in the season that results in the Holiday's distinctive size.
Source: mercurynews.com
