Published on June 4, 2025 in Fruitnet

Egypt provides early edge with Arra grape varieties

ARRA Varieties was recently featured in Fruitnet. Click here to view the original article.

ARRA varieties are redefining the start of the table grape season in Egypt, with premium ARRA varieties allowing growers to offer consumers a differentiated experience

ARRA Mystic Charm™

Egypt’s 2025 table grape season is already off to an early and flavourful start. But this year, it is not just about being early, it is about being better.

The first pickings of the very early ARRA trio: ARRA Honey Pop, ARRA Fire Kiss, and ARRA Mystic Charm have redefined what it means to be early in the market. These three varieties, bred by Grapa and cultivated by selected Egyptian growers, are raising the bar in terms of flavour, appearance and market timing.

Egyptian growers have waited years for early varieties in all three colours that do not force them to compromise on quality. With ARRA Honey Pop and ARRA Fire Kiss, they finally have that edge.

The 2025 season began under somewhat challenging weather conditions: cool spring temperatures, combined with short, sharp heatwaves disrupted Brix development and delayed uniform ripening in some plots.

Field observations: differentiation in action

At Egyptian exporter Agrostar, ARRA Mystic Charm (ARD 41) was close to commercial maturity at the end of May, offering full black colouration, crunchy texture, and berries sizing around 18mm. As supply showed last year, this variety shows a fantastic post-harvest performance.

Meanwhile, ARRA Honey Pop (ARRA33) was nothing short of dazzling. The creamy colour of its berries drew attention instantly, supported by sweet flavour and balanced acidity. This variety has proven for one more season its exceptional fertility and unbeatable grower friendly experience.

Finally, ARRA Fire Kiss (ARD 42) lived up to its name with fire-red tones, excellent stretching and a firm crunch.

Strategic relevance of Egypt

With Egypt entering the market early each year, differentiation is no longer optional, it is essential. These ARRA varieties allow Egyptian growers to offer consumers a differentiated experience. They are not just early. They are elevated.

As global availability begins to tighten, Egypt’s evolving early window starts. And thanks to the ARRA varieties, it now has character, premium potential and a clear identity. For a market fatigued by the ordinary, that might be the sweetest news of all, particularly when the only alternative is fruit harvested many weeks earlier, often past its prime.

Don’t miss out on these other articles:

ARRA Cherry Crush™

The Crush Everyone’s talking about!

Tony Calvillo, Vice President of International Business Development, Dayka & Hackett LLC, shared: “Today, we visited the ARRA Cherry Crush—a grape variety that exceeds the expectations of growers, consumers, and retailers alike. We are thrilled to witness its remarkable potential. Boasting an alluring cherry colour, impressive size, abundant production, and a perfect balance of taste and crunch, ARRA Cherry Crush creates a mutually beneficial scenario for discerning producers, consumers, and retailers.”

ARRA Fire Crunch™

Igniting the senses

Just in time for the festive season, the inaugural batch of ARRA Fire Crunch™ made its way from Peru to the USA. Karl Conrads, founder, CEO of Grapasa accompanied the first year vines from budbreak all the way to Walmart facilities in Los Angeles.

Don’t miss the footage, showing this landmark arrival, now the sky’s the limit.

ARRA Passion Fire™

Sharing the passion – Right now in Southern Africa:

“It’s a great, beautiful grape, we are having a great time packing it.” shares Gabriel Viljoen of G.P. Viljoen Farming

We’ve heard other growers excited about this year’s performance.

“The ARRA Passion Fire was probably the most beautiful red grapes around on our farms.”

ARRA Fire Kiss™

Start the season with a Kiss

This year, attendees got a firsthand look at ARRA Fire Kiss™ in Egypt. What stood out was how distinctly different it was from the Flame, leaving no doubt that it is the perfect Flame replacement.