Fruit World announced the start of its highly anticipated California grape season, delivering a program that provides consistent flavor, variety and a direct line to the farm.

In January, longtime veterans of the California grapes industry — Jared Lane and Robert Cadena — joined forces to create Grapeco Farms LLC, a new company with the goal to provide a year-round supply of high-flavor tri-color varieties to retailers.

Fruit Royale Inc. has been successfully growing, packing, importing, exporting and promoting grapes since 2004, working directly with its contracted growers on all aspects of fruit production.

The company is responsible for more than 1,200 acres in California with the San Joaquin Valley helping to supply customers from July through December — accounting for more than 1 million cases of grapes in the state and imports from Peru, Chile and Mexico adding another million boxes.

Top Brass is a fourth-generation family farm that started out with just an immigrant’s dream. Ted Vignolo created this empire and his children’s children continue to watch the business flourish.

Grapes have long been a lifeline for Top Brass, with the farm having started growing its initial 40 acres of table grapes in the San Joaquin Valley in 1962 and increasing production almost yearly over the last six decades.

Grape production out of Central California is underway, albeit with a later start. “Like everything else, we’re about two weeks behind where we normally are,” said Justin Bedwell of Bari Produce, noting that cooler spring temperatures are behind the delay. “Usually we get going out of Central California for grapes right after the fourth of July and we’re actually just starting this week with our reds and greens and some of our specialty grapes.”

Just in time for the start of its season, Pretty Lady Vineyards exhibited at its first ever Organic Produce Show at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, CA, last week. After months of anticipation, Pretty Lady is able to offer organic grape varieties to fans far and wide.

“We are excited to expand our product offerings to now include organic grape varieties which will be available in our stand-up grab-and-go bags as well as boxes,” said Nick Dulcich, president of Pretty Lady Vineyards.