Sable is a delicious black seedless grape with an intense sweetness and a hint of Parma Violets that makes them truly irresistible. The berries are slightly elongate and small to medium in size. The skin colour is an intense ebony black. The skin itself is fairly thick and chewy and gives the grape quite a crunch, though without any astringency. The combination of the texture with sweetness, tanginess and a wonderful flavour make Sable one of the best grapes on sale, more or less through out the year.
A grape such as Sable, which offers flavour as its unique selling point, is bound to differ from the various growing regions around the world. As it becomes more widely grown, it will be possible to compare its flavour from those different grape regions. Currently, the Good Fruit Guide view is that Chilean and South African Sable is the tastiest, but time will tell!
Good Fruit Guide Rating: *****
Sable is a wonderful black table grape variety that brings flavour back for consumers.
Very sweet, Parma Violets, Crunchy
Names: Sugrasixteen; Sugra16; Sable; USPP11749P2
Origin: Sable was bred and licensed by Sunworld, California. The seed parent was Black Monukka and the pollen parent was Sugrafive, first crossed in May, 1988 and first asexually propagated by David W. Cain in December, 1991 in Wasco, Kern County, California. The US plant patent was granted in January, 2001, and the variety was released for commercial production in 2003.
Grown in: Australia, South Africa, Chile, Brazil, Peru, California, Mexico, Egypt, Spain, Italy, Israel
Harvest & Availability: Sable is supplied from the following countries throughout the year:
- January: South Africa
- February: South Africa
- March: South Africa, Chile
- April: Chile
- May: Chile
- June: Mexico, Egypt
- July: Egypt, Spain
- August: Egypt, Spain, Italy
- September: Spain, Italy
- October: Spain, California, Brazil
- November: Brazil, Peru
- December: Brazil, Peru
Websites:
Julie –
I definitely rank this the best grape, with an amazing crunch and texture without an after taste, which you get with some of the other grapes.
Nick Ball –
Dear Julie,
Thanks for your message about Sable grapes.
I think Sable are wonderful as they combine sweetness with a good flavour, which has been sadly lacking in seedless black grapes. There are one or two other black grapes with flavour that you can try, specifically Vitoria from Brazil (with a strong flavour), Candy Crunch and Candy Dreams.
Regards,
Nick Ball
Deborah Bailey –
Delicious, sweet with a super tropical perfumed flavour