Giumarra Vineyards' Randy Giumarra Talks Table Grape Varieties, Weather, Export Partners, and More
BAKERSFIELD, CA - Table grapes recall images of wealth, of luxury, of sitting in a sumptuous armchair and snacking on something sweet. Now, perhaps not every consumer is as over the top with their eating habits as I am, but I know that table grapes continue to drive shoppers into the store—and that’s something to get excited about. To check in on how companies like Giumarra Vineyards are ensuring buyers have the best quality varieties for these hungry shoppers, I checked in with Randy Giumarra, Vice President of Sales.
“There will be promotable volumes of California table grapes all the way through the end of the year, possibly longer depending on the shipper and the variety,” he explained to me. “While the majority of the industry is trying to promote reds, we are actively promoting both whites and blacks. Our Autumn King has been especially good-eating this year, and both our ARRA Mystic Dream™ and Autumn Royal blacks should be strong movers in December as the latest California storage report shows very few blacks left for the season. We just finished the harvest on our late high-flavor red varietal, the ARRA Passion Punch, and are still picking Allison.”
Excellent weather conditions have followed the grower for most of the season, and this trend continues to be seen throughout the beginning of December.
“Weather permitting, we will continue harvesting fresh fruit through the second week of December, as long as there are no changes in quality or condition,” Randy noted. “As we taper down on the California program in December, we will be looking forward to fresh fruit from Peru and Chile. We are very excited about the varietal mix that we will have this year from our export partners. These include the ARRA varieties, as well as some of the most popular selections from other breeding programs.”
Giumarra Vineyards anticipates a smooth transition into the import season, meaning that retail customers will continue to be supplied with fresh and flavorful grapes through the holidays and 2021. I know a buy-side win when I see one.
