Labour of Love
This week, we check out the bountiful ARRA 29 harvest at Silverlands Vineyards and present the second instalment of the Grapa team’s recent trip to South Africa and Namibia where the team visited the ARRA™ growers in the Hex River Valley.
The Time is Ripe – for an update from Namibia
Silverland Vineyards
At Silverlands Vineyards, week 48 brings in an abundant harvest of ARRA 29. Hillside (Silverlands) is the first farm in Aussenkehr to start harvesting ARRA 29 on November 16th with beautiful bunches consisting of well-coloured and sized berries.
Hex River Valley Growers
The Grapa team were pleased to have the opportunity to meet up with the ARRA growers in person and were thrilled to see the progress of the ARRA programme in this region. The ARRA team of TopFruit; Arnold Viljoen and Stephan Nel are doing an amazing job of interacting with the growers while providing them with the quality standard and principles of the unique protocol of ARRA 15. The Hex River Valley climate presents ideal conditions for table grape cultivation and the ARRA 29 is doing extremely well.
Cape Orchard Company
ARRA 15
Needless to say, COC farms as ARRA pioneers continue to keep up the quality and performance of the ARRA 15; the short bunches with excellent natural elongation guarantee the usual top quality.
ARRA 29
The Grapa team was delighted to see the ARRA 29 farms in the Hex River doing so well. As the season progressed, the ARRA technical team at Topfruit evaluated the growing protocol that was executed in the Aussenkehr and Orange River a month earlier and drew fast conclusions. In collaboration with the ARRA agronomist in Peru who is experienced in the ARRA 29 protocol, the TopFruit team made speedy modifications and results are amazing; minimal shot berries and uniform loose healthy bunches, pleasing everyone in this remarkable visit to Namibia and South Africa.
A.S. Viljoen Farms
Kleinberg Kriegler Farms
TC Rabie Farms
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This variety has large, elongated, intense cherry-coloured berries. With excellent sugar-acid balance, cherry flavour and sensational crunch, ARD 36 CHERRY CRUSH™ is a variety that delights in appearance, taste and eating experience. Proven to be fully rain resistant, the variety also has excellent fertility and exceptional storage ability. It is the ultimate long shipping variety with the best shelf life in the industry. CHERRY CRUSH™ has it all!
Discover the ultimate red variety with ARD 35 – FIRE CRUNCH™. This early-mid variety boasts a unique fire-red colour and crunchy, large berries with a low acid level and well-balanced taste that provide a supreme eating quality. It’s a fertile and easy-to-grow variety with full uniform colour that stays red on the vine, and doesn’t get dark over time, making harvest timing very flexible. This variety also withstands rain and offers unparalleled hanging ability, cold storage capability and shelf-life capacity.
This early red seedless variety offers an exceptional eating quality. It has large, crunchy berries, a medium sized bunch and boasts an excellent natural, full, deep red colour. Although it ripens at the same time as Flame, ARRA Passion Fire surpasses its early counterpart in all other parameters. Good productivity, extraordinary hanging ability, shipping durability and shelf life make it a choice early red.
This very early red variety with its large, sweet berries, ripens naturally 10 days before Flame. The striking full red colour, together with extreme crunch and harmonious flavour make this red a must-have variety. Fire Kiss has proven to be very fertile and grower friendly, as well as bearing great post-harvest and shipping qualities.