The Peruvian table grape season is being wrapped up by Divine Flavor of Nogales, AZ as the importer switches to Chilean grapes.
Divine Flavor’s Chilean grape program lasts into April, when production switches to Jalisco, Mexico.
Early varieties from Chile include thompsons, sugraones, sweet globes and other greens.
Chile exported about 50 million boxes last year, about 60 percent of which went to the U.S.
The Chilean grape season could be down as much as 15 percent this season, in good part due to drought conditions. Still, the company sees decent volumes in the coming months.
“This year, we’ll have more Muscat Beauty, which is a great tasting hybrid,” Gonzalo Mery of Santa Elena, a Chilean grower that supplies Divine Flavor, said in a press release. “We’ve also planted more autumn crisp and sweet globe, both being specialty and high-flavored greens.”
Peruvian growers for Divine Flavor have also planted more highly-flavored varieties. Agricola Don Ricardo plans to plant more Jellyberries and Gummyberries.
“This movement and our decisions are being backed up by data and testing blocks trials,” Arturo Hoffmann, commercial manager for Agricola Don Ricardo, said in the release. “Next season, we anticipate having 85 percent of our production to be of the specialty, high-flavored varieties.”