In January, Dimitrios Spanos, Founder and Director of Grape Evolution, along with his team, visited South Africa to introduce table grape growers to the latest table grape varieties developed by Israel’s Agricultural Research Organisation (ARO), known as the Volcani Institute. Grape Evolution serves as the marketing license company for the breeding program of the Volcani Institute. The Grape Evolution team was hosted by Growers by Nature, the owners of Fruit Genetics, which holds the South African license for the Volcani Institute.

The group attended the Plant Genetics and Grape Evolution Grower Day at Meerlust Farm in the Hex River Valley on 29 January 2025. At this event, Dimitrios presented an introduction to the top five ARO varieties, and growers had the opportunity to visit vineyards showcasing two of these new varieties. Interest was high among attendees, reflecting the excitement surrounding these innovative table grape cultivars.

Group photo: Back: Oded Degani (Volcani), Marinus Naude (Growers by Nature), Pieter Naude (Growers by Nature), Dimitrios Spanos (Grape Evolution); Front:  Jaco du Toit (Growers by Nature) Jessica Kanellou (Grape Evolution), Danelene Dampies (Growers by Nature).

New Varieties

The showcased varieties included one black, two red, and two white varieties:

• Early Pearl (Varo 221): The earliest black seedless variety globally, ideal for desert regions. It ripens alongside Prime Seedless, achieves a deep black color, and features berries measuring 19-24 mm with a sweet, fruity flavor at an optimal 17% brix level.
• Exotic Pearl (Varo 233): A red variety with a unique lychee/mango tropical flavor. A cross between Vitis vinifera and Vitis labrusca, it is highly rain-tolerant and suited to all production regions. The harvest time is seven days after Starlight, with oval berries measuring 19-24 mm and an optimal 18% brix level.
• Mountain Pearl (Varo 207): A full-red, mid-to-late-season variety with similar timing to Crimson Seedless. It is highly rain-tolerant, well-suited for all production regions, and features crisp, oval berries measuring 17-22 mm with an 18% brix level.
• Desert Pearl (Varo 228): An early amber/green variety harvested seven days after Prime Seedless. It has very firm, elongated berries measuring 18-22 mm, with a crunchy texture and an optimal brix level of 17%.
• Late Pearl (Varo 308): The latest white seedless variety globally, featuring milky white-green, super-crispy oval berries (18-22 mm). It has a subtle muscat flavor with an optimal 18% brix level.

Mountain Pearl.

Established position in the South African Table Grape industry

The Volcani Institute’s partnership with Fruit Genetics in South Africa spans more than 30 years, with its varieties forming an integral part of South African table grape production. Popular varieties from this breeder include Prime Seedless, the country’s second-most planted variety (over 1,500 hectares), and Starlight, a red mutation of Prime Seedless, with more than 500 hectares under cultivation.

Growers inspecting Exotic Pearl in the vineyard.

A new era with Growers by Nature

In 2023, Growers by Nature, a division of Denau Farms, acquired Fruit Genetics, strengthening the commercial development of Volcani Institute table grape varieties in South Africa. Previously, the late Aat Hoekstra played a pivotal role as the primary evaluator and custodian of the Volcani Group’s varieties, conducting evaluations at the Hoekstra evaluation block in Paarl. With the acquisition, Denau Farms has now established new evaluation vineyard blocks in the Hex River Valley to continue advancing the breeding program.

Maintaining the legacy of evaluation excellence, long-time evaluator Jan Siebrits continues overseeing the evaluation process for the Volcani Institute and Growers by Nature. While the Hex River Valley has become the primary evaluation site, Fruit Genetics has also retained evaluation blocks at Oseiland Farms and Karsten Group in the Northern Cape, ensuring the program’s ongoing development.

The acquisition of Fruit Genetics demonstrates a renewed commitment to enhancing the presence and impact of Volcani Institute genetics in South Africa’s table grape industry. The visit by Grape Evolution further highlights ongoing efforts to introduce innovative varieties and strengthen South Africa’s position in global table grape production.

Watch the latest Lucentlands Podcast with Dimi Spanos, Managing Director of Grape Evolution Limited, for more insights into the grape industry:

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