New World Farming Trade, headquartered in New York, is heading into its second season with its Muscatel from Grandma premium pink seedless grapes from Chile.

Jim Mulcahy, sales manager for the company, told The Produce News that the first boat carrying the grapes will arrive around March 5. The season will run through mid-May.

“The grapes were a great hit in 2015,” said Mulcahy. “Last March, Pete Napolitano, host of the NBC television spot ‘Produce Pete,’ featured the grapes. He provided an informative and explanatory segment pointing out the various properties of this specialty premium grape.Matias Ruiz-Tagle and Jim Mulcahy of New World Farming Trade.

Mulcahy added that plans are under way for another “Produce Pete” segment about the grapes some time this March, where Napolitano will provide more information about the grapes and where consumers can purchase them.

Last year, the launch of the Muscatel from Grandma brand was accompanied by newly designed packaging. Mulcahy pointed out that the pink seedless grape is not a typical year-round, on-the-shelf type of grape.

“This called for a highly distinctive packaging bag for instant customer recognition,” he said. “Grapes piled together are a common sight in retail produce departments. And consumers have to pull the bags out to actually see the variety within. It’s confusing. Our new Muscatel from Grandma branded bag is immediately recognizable. We wanted to make it easy for customers to be able to quickly find their favorite grape with our highly recognizable bag design and distinct label.”

The bag also offers a brief historical product background. Mulcahy said that once consumers taste this grape they will always come back looking for more of it.

“The grape has a sweet perfumed taste and a subtle aroma,” he explained. “The complexion consists of light whitish green to golden and on into a pink and light red blush. It is not engineered or developed by a botanist; this superb blending happened in nature itself.”

The logo is suited perfectly with the history of the grape. Mulcahy said that in years past grandmothers in Chile would harvest these grapes from small sections of vines with the help of family members, including children.

“Early on there were no designated vineyards, only small sections of vines scattered throughout north-central Chile,” he said.

The Muscatel from Grandma grape will be available at a wide range of retailers across the country, as well as through major distributors. Among them are Baldor Specialty Foods, which services customers from its locations in the Bronx, NY, Boston, and Washington, DC. Also offering the item will be FreshPro Food Distributors (formerly R.L.B. Food Distributors) in West Caldwell, NJ; Sid Wainer in New Bedford, MA; Serra Bros. Produce in Detroit; T.M. Kovacevich at the Philadelphia Terminal Market; A&J Produce at Hunts Point Terminal Market; and Travers Fruit Co. at New England Produce Center in Chelsea, MA.

“Retailers lined up to carry the grape this year include De Moulas Super Markets in Massachusetts, Eataly and Agatha & Valentina, both in Manhattan, and Caputo’s Markets in Chicago,” added Mulcahy.