Superior is the same variety as Sugraone and is a marketing name that is only used if certain high standards of quality are achieved. These standards include higher levels of sweetness, skin colour and cleanliness, berry size (75% more than 19mm) and uniformity, and texture.
Superior is a seedless green grape with medium size oval berries. The colour is a creamy greenish-yellow. The skin is thin and there is very little resistance to the bite, though it can sometimes be slightly chewy, but not bitter. The flesh is crisp, very sweet (min. 15.5% Brix) with low acids (sugar: acid ratio of 20 to 1) and a slight Muscat flavour.
Sugraone is an early season variety and one of the dominant seedless green grapes around the world. As Sugraone, it has been the mainstay of the industry for many years, though change is coming in the form of new, improved varieties.
Good Fruit Guide Rating: ****
Superior will be attractive to consumers as a reliably sweet, crisp, green seedless grape.
Sweet, crisp, juicy
Names: Superior; Superior Seedless.
Origin: Sugraone was developed by Sunworld in California. When marketed as Superior Seedless, a trade-marked name, the grape must meet certain high quality standards established by Sunworld, otherwise it is sold as Sugraone.
Grown in: All major table grape producing countries grow Sugraone under licence. In Spain, Superior is grown in the areas of Alhama de Murcia, Totana and AbarĂ¡n.
Harvest & Availability: Harvest begins early July in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Supplies of Superior for the UK are as follows:
- January: South Africa
- February: South Africa
- March: South Africa
- April: South Africa, Chile
- May:
- June:
- July:
- August: Spain, Italy
- September: Spain, Italy
- October:
- November: Peru
- December: Peru
Websites:
Sunworld Innovations – Sugraone