MCFARLAND, CA - With exclusive brands named Sparkle™, Rosa®, Gem®, Stella Bella®, Sorella Bella™, and Sweet Carnival™ in Sunview Marketing International’s grape lineup, I can’t imagine it takes much to convince consumers that these grapes are must-haves in their shopping carts. Mitch Wetzel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, confirmed as much when we chatted about the upcoming season kicking off in July.
However, after speaking with Mitch, it’s clear that these are more than just fun names on store shelves. In fact, a few of them are setting new precedents in terms of quality, texture, and flavor in the grape category.
“We’re going to start packing this season’s grapes on July 6, with full commercial volumes of red, green, black, and organic grapes. So far, this year is setting up to be a much stronger year in terms of quality. Volume by variety also seems to be right in that normal range, although there is a shortness (in the beginning) on green grapes that should settle into a normal pattern after July,” Mitch explained to me. “It truly is a fantastic growing year. We’re seeing great quality in the vineyards, and I think the whole grape category is going to really shine this summer.”
One area of focus Sunview is dialing in on this season and beyond is its organics program. The organics season coincides with the conventional season and ships until Christmas.
“We’re upping the standard and quality of organic offerings. This has included adding some of our own exclusive brands to our organics program. Organics have more importance with consumers these days, and Sunview is well-positioned to handle substantial increases in supply for retailers as table grapes become a bigger part of the entire organic category,” Mitch added. “Whether conventional or organic, our goal at Sunview is to enhance the grape experience by providing sweeter, crunchier, and bigger varieties. We focus on the eating experience, especially with high flavor grapes, which is where our Sweet Carnival fits in.”
The first of July signals that we’re two months away from starting the Sweet Carnival season, the current star of Sunview's exclusive offerings—and one that really showcases the excellence of the company’s breeding program.
“Everyone in the table grape sector is doing a good job of breeding for sweetness, but texture is where Sunview stands out. Across the board, our breeding program has developed varieties that are crisp, firm, and crunchy in texture, and this texture continues to be one of the foremost qualities we breed for,” Mitch continued. “In fact, texture is what we get complimented on the most.”
Mitch then concluded with, “Sunview Marketing is one grower, or a single source of supply. This is key in the message we want to portray to retailers and consumers. We also strive to be good stewards, whether it’s water, land, or our employee associates. Right now, we’re working on producing content that showcases this dedication to stewardship, whether that be a virtual tour or social media posts. We are excited to work with our retail partners to make this grape season successful.”
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