DELANO, CA - Earlier this month, Jasmine Vineyards fueled our excitement for the California table grape season, announcing the harvest of two alluring seedless grape varieties. With more beloved varieties to be harvested soon, we took a virtual trip to the supplier’s vineyards to find out just what this season has in store.

“We're currently harvesting variety favorites Sweet Celebration (red seedless), Summer Crunch, and Sweet Globe (green seedless), with Great Green coming soon,” shared Jon Zaninovich, President of Jasmine Vineyards. “Despite some extreme heat during early harvest, we're looking at a healthy crop this season and expect to be shipping into the holidays.”

California table grapes are regarded as a premium commodity in both domestic and international markets, with consumers anticipating the arrival of the region’s high-quality, high-flavor table grapes each year.

“Our soil, climate, and the generations of family farms caring for the land—all these factors contribute to quality grapes, year after year,” Jon adds. “The California Table Grape Commission is also credited with a positive and consistent lift in consumer awareness of California grapes, making them a preferred choice among shoppers.”

While the quality and flavor are certainly enough to draw consumers to this famed category, retailers have the power to drive increased sales by creating prominent and eye-catching displays in the produce department.

“We're getting lots of great photos from retailers showing eye-catching displays of Jasmine Vineyards grapes,” Jon shares proudly. “Prominent displays are a great example of how retailers can maximize sales of California table grapes while promoting them as a limited-time seasonal offering. Circulars and in-store signage can promote grapes as a ‘smart snack’ for school lunches and after-school activities, hydrating and providing essential nutrients from whole fruit.”

While retailers continue to make the most out of the lucrative California table grape season, ANUK will be here with the latest category updates.

DINUBA, CA - Domestic table grapes continue to be a hot commodity in the United States. With high-quality supplies coming out of California, growers are working to maintain their market share. To get a better glimpse at domestic operations, I got in touch with Keith Wilson, President of King Fresh Produce LLC.

“The California Table Grape Commission does a great job promoting California-grown grapes. Grapes grown in California have always been known as a great quality product and consumers look for the ‘California Grown’ label and the American flag when buying grapes,” Keith began telling me.

As Keith pointed out, table grapes are a great item to promote at the retail level, as they produce very little shrink and people love to eat them fresh off the vine, in salads, desserts, and frozen.

“California has withstood the test of time as a premier location with warm, dry climates and soil that produces quality grapes. Not to mention, most growers have generations of family members who have been involved or are still involved in vineyard management. Most table grape growers have been trained by previous generations to grow quality product as well as many knowledgeable people in the industry who are happy to share cultural secrets. Our ag-based universities also continue to educate grape growers,” Keith concluded.

Quality and dedication to the craft are what set California table grape growers apart from the rest. ANUK will continue to highlight this top-dollar crop whenever we get the chance, so stay tuned.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - After releasing a brand-new AI Orders Solution back in June, GrubMarket continues to harness the power of artificial intelligence to help drive industry advancement and innovation. The food tech pioneer recently launched AI Chatbot, an advanced AI-powered tool set to revolutionize customer, vendor, and employee support.

"We are thrilled to introduce AI Chatbot to the food supply chain industry. AI Chatbot represents a major leap forward in how businesses within the food supply chain can interact with their customers and partners. As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation, there is a growing need for tools that can provide real-time, personalized support for customers, vendors, and employees," said Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer. "AI Chatbot is not just another chatbot; it is a revolutionary tool that empowers businesses to provide exceptional customer service through the intelligent application of AI and automation. By harnessing the power of AI, we can enable these businesses to offer a more responsive support experience that drives both customer satisfaction and business growth."

The intuitive, personalized, responsive communication tool can be easily integrated into a company’s website, with no prior AI or programming experience required. As a press release detailed, the unique industry solution leverages cutting-edge AI to deliver personalized, contextually relevant assistance tailored to the specific needs of food industry businesses. Once initialized with relevant data, AI Chatbot provides 24/7, world-class support and high-quality answers to questions on demand.

AI Chatbot is strategically designed to deliver precise and accurate responses that are customized based on a company’s individual data and knowledge base. This helps ensure users receive relevant and useful information. Once installed, the innovation can help users achieve reduced operational costs and a boost in customer satisfaction simply by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their support operations.

Benefits of the product include a natural, conversational experience; comprehensive data support for custom training; effortless integration; cross-platform accessibility; and more.

For more details on this launch, click here.

And stay tuned to ANUK to find out how GrubMarket will continue to spark industry growth through innovation.