Table grape

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Pione table grapes prior to harvesting

Table grapes are grapes intended for consumption while fresh, as opposed to grapes grown
for wine production, juice production, or for drying into raisins.
Vitis vinifera table grapes can be in the form of either seeded or non-seeded varietals and range
widely in terms of colour, size, sweetness and adaptability to local growing conditions.
Common commercially available table grape varieties such as Thompson Seedless and Flame
Seedless are favoured by growers for their high yield and relative resistance to damage during
shipment. Other less common varietals such as Cotton Candy, Kyoho or Pione are custom hybrids
bred for size, appearance and specific flavour characteristics.

Contents

 1Market characteristics
o 1.1North America and Europe
o 1.2Japan and East Asia
 2Table grape varietals
o 2.1Gallery
 3References

Market characteristics[edit]
Chile, Peru, the United States, China, Turkey, Spain, South Africa and Australia are all major
producers and exporters of table grapes.[1] World table grape production in 2016 is estimated by
the USDA to be in the region of 21.0 million metric tons per annum, China alone accounting for an
estimated 9.7 million metric tons of this global total. Chile remains the world's single largest table
grape exporter, exporting over 800,000 metric tons to mainly North American and European
markets.[2] China, by way of contrast, exports only 247,000 metric tons per annum mainly to South
East Asian markets; a small percentage of overall production.[3]
The global trade in table grapes has enjoyed strong growth since the 1950s. Since the turn of the
century table grape export growth has primarily come from the Southern Hemisphere and
developing economies such as Chile, India, Peru and Turkey.[4]
The international trade in table grapes has significantly benefitted from the increased availability of
cold storage and refrigerated container technology. Table grapes are a labour-intensive agricultural
product that require harvesting by hand at peak ripeness. In order to maintain product quality at point
of sale, harvested grapes must be sorted, packaged and cooled to near 0 °C as quickly as possible.
Transportation in ventilated and temperature controlled environments requires significant investment
in processing facilities, shipping and logistics. As the production cycle for table grapes is relatively
long compared with other fruit, with new plantations taking 2–3 years to become productive, export
production and promotion is often concentrated in the hands of large vertically integrated commercial
enterprises or producer-exporter associations such as the Fruit Exporters Association of Chile
(ASOEX).[5]
North America and Europe[edit]
Table grapes commonly sold in North American and European markets include Sultana (Thompson
Seedless), Flame, Muscat, Almeria, Niagara and Concord.
In the United States, California remains the largest single producer of table grapes with over 85,000
acres under cultivation. According to the USDA over 70 varietals are grown in the state, but the bulk
of shipments are limited to a dozen mainly seedless varieties often sold domestically under generic
green, red, or black descriptors.[6]
Japan and East Asia[edit]
In Japan and other East Asian markets, as well as supporting a market for imported grapes
commonly produced in Australia and Chile, domestically produced table grapes are often grown and
sold as premium gift products.
In Japan Kyoho, Delaware and Pione grapes rank as the first, second and third most popular table
grapes in terms production volume.[7] In July 2015, setting new pricing records for Japanese premium
table grapes, a single bunch of Ruby Roman grapes, containing 26 grapes at a weight of about 700
grams, sold for 1 million yen (around US$8400).[8]

Table grape varietals[edit]

Main article: List of grape varieties

Colour Varietals

White-Green Perlette, Sugraone, Thompson Seedless, Niagara, Calmeria, Italia, Autumn King, Princess, Cotton
grapes Candy

Flame Seedless, Swenson Red, Yates, Red Globe, Ruby Seedless, Christmas
Red grapes Rose, Emperor, Rouge, Crimson Seedless, Tudor Premium Red, Scarlet
Royal, Cardinal, Koshu, Delaware, Ruby Roman, Vintage Red, Muscato

Blue-Black Beauty Seedless, Concord, Thomcord, Muscat Hamburg, Autumn Royal, Fantasy
grapes Seedless, Marroo, Niabell, Summer Royal, Kyoho, Pione, St. Theresa

Gallery[edit]
 

Sultana (Thompson Seedless) table grapes

Autumn Royal table grapes California

 Ruby Roman grapes for sale in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture

Kyoho grapes

References[edit]
1. ^ Creasy, Glenn (2009). Grapes. Oxfordshire: CAB International. p. 225. ISBN 978 1 84593 401 9.
2. ^ "Fresh Deciduous Fruit (Apples, Grapes & Pears): World Markets and Trade" (PDF). USDA. Foreign
Agriculture Service. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
3. ^ "Fresh Deciduous Fruit: World Markets" (PDF). USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.
Retrieved 5 July 2016.
4. ^ Fernandez-Stark, Karina (2016). Peru in the Table Grape Global Value Chain (PDF). Report
commissioned by the World Bank. p. 8. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
5. ^ Fernandez-Stark, Karina (2016). Peru in the Table Grape Global Value Chain (PDF). Report
commissioned by the World Bank. p. 11. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
6. ^ Boyd, Vicky. "A dozen varieties lead California table grape market". The Packer. Retrieved 5
July 2016.
7. ^ Robinson, Jancis (2015). The Oxford Companion to Wine (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
p. 391. ISBN 978-0-19-870538-3.
8. ^ Du, Lisa (9 July 2015). "Bunch of Grapes Sells for Record $8,200". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9
July 2015.