WASCO, Calif. (August 28, 2024) — More than 250 grower licensees, retailers and media partners participated in the SunWorld International BB #:341274 mid-to-late table grape field day held on August 22nd at the Innovation Center in Wasco, California.
The annual event brought together licensed growers, marketers, importers, retailers and media partners from around the world to see first-hand how Sunworld is bringing innovative new table grape varieties to market.
“Sunworld’s Field Day was a milestone in our company’s history as we launched our EPIC CRISP and APPLAUSE brands. It was an honor to introduce these brands to over 250 partners around the world,” said Jen Sanchez, Sunworld’s vice president of marketing. “We look forward to seeing these brands gain increasing traction in the coming years as production volumes increase around the world.”
Sunworld provided a behind-the-scenes look at commercial, semi-commercial and pipeline grape varieties at its commercial vineyards and innovation center test plots. Sunworld partners saw Sunworld’s efforts to develop and introduce consumer-inspired, grower-friendly table grape varieties, including Sunworld’s newest brands, EPIC CRISP and APPLAUSE. These new brands enable growers, marketers and retailers to grow sales by providing retailers and consumers with a high-quality, delicious and consistent eating experience.
“We are honored to see the EPIC CRISP and APPLAUSE brands for the first time at Sunworld Field Day,” said Messiah Petersen, Market Development and Communications Manager for the South African Table Grape Industry. “There are exciting developments happening in the table grape sector and we can’t wait to see what happens next.”
The field day allowed licensed growers and marketers to view mid- to late-season varieties in conditions similar to those found in their own vineyards, helping them make more informed decisions about future plantings, while Sun World brought together ag technology and industry partners to present their unique products and services to attendees.
In addition to exploring innovative varietals, participants had the rare opportunity to see the future of agriculture firsthand, including watching Tortuga’s cutting-edge automated robots harvest grapes in Sunworld’s vineyards – an experience many of them had for the first time.
Elena Hernandez, Director of Global Marketing Insights at Sun World, spoke about the early success of AUTUMNCRISP’s global marketing launch and retail partnerships. Hernandez also shared a preview of retail partnerships coming this fall. These collaborations between Sun World, growers, marketers and retailers are essential to growing consumer awareness of AUTUMNCRISP.
“We know and love AUTUMNCRISP grapes, and now it’s time for consumers to experience and taste the grapes by name,” said Kyle Hackett, president of Deika & Hackett. “Sun World’s AUTUMNCRISP grape marketing campaign has demonstrated that strong grower partnerships and a well-executed retail strategy can take a great product from the vineyard to the forefront of consumer demand.”
Learn more about APPLAUSE and EPIC CRISP’s unique brand characteristics and flavor profiles below.
APPLAUSE: The Sugrafiftyfour variety, sold under the APPLAUSE™ brand, is a mid-season, green seedless grape variety with a sweet, tropical, fruity flavor that delivers unexpected tastes and makes consumers’ grape-eating experience anything but ordinary. APPLAUSE™ offers a unique series of limited edition red, green and black seedless grapes in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and flavors.
EPIC CRISP: Sold under the EPIC CRISP® brand, the Sugrafiftysix variety is a mid-season, green, seedless variety that is packed with bite-sized, sweet, juicy goodness. With EPIC CRISP® grapes, consumers are guaranteed a great grape experience.
Ready to taste the grapes and learn more? Connect with Sun World International on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Sunworld International
Sun World International is a global cultivar development and licensing business. Based in California, the company has a global network of licensed growers and distributors with offices in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America, Israel and South Africa. In 2023, Sun World launched a global marketing campaign for its iconic AUTUMNCRISP® brand of seedless blue grapes. The effort, expected to be the largest ever for a branded grape, is intended to drive demand and increase revenue for the company’s international licensing network. For more information about Sun World, visit sun-world.com.
