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Chile and Peru do a good job of keeping conventional grapes on the table during the gap in supplies from North America during the winter, but their volume of organic table grapes is lacking.
Organic grapes will again be in the marketplace when Coachella Valley and Mexico begin shipping in May. “The timing of the Coachella Valley grape deal is similar to last year but we are going to be light on the front end,” said Rob Spinelli of Anthony Vineyards, California’s largest organic grape grower. “We expect some organic grape production in May, but don’t expect heavier volume until after Memorial Day.”
Spinelli said that due to the lack of winter organic grape supplies, demand will be high initially and sales of organics will be brisk with high f.o.b. prices. However, he said, there could be some promotional opportunities in June on organic grapes.
Anthony Vineyards "Flame" organic grape variety.
“Once the harvest shifts to the San Joaquin Valley in early July, organic grapes in many varieties, including the increasingly-popular specialty varieties, will be much more plentiful," Spinelli said.
Echoing that sentiment was Chance Kirk of Vincent B. Zaninovich & Sons (VBZ), headquartered in Delano, CA. While VBZ considers themselves a large player in the organic sector, Kirk said the firm does not have an organic deal in the Coachella Valley district. He said organic production is a bigger risk in the desert because you’re competing against Mexico where costs are lower and organic grapes are in greater supply.
In fact, Kirk said, some organic grapes coming into the United States might be suspect. “Last year it was a fiasco. Organic grapes were selling for less than conventional. They (Mexico) flooded the market.” he said.
VBZ packing facility.
VBZ’s organic grape volume is increasing and Kirk said it will eventually match the number of conventional grapes. “We are going to hit one million organic cartons this year. That’s where the growth is," he said. “We are continuing to see double digit growth in organics even as sales are flat with conventional bags. Organics are a very big part of our program. From July 1 to mid-December we will have a steady supply of organic grapes.”
Spinelli said Anthony Vineyard’s organic production will stretch from May into December and account for 50 percent of its volume. While organic supplies will be tight in May and less-than plentiful in June, he said new organic production and new entrants in the San Joaquin Valley should make for a strong 2018 California organic grape season throughout the summer months and into the fall.
