RIO RICO, AZ — MAS Melons & Grapes LLC was well represented in Chile in mid-February through participation in the two-day grape breeding event, Open Days. This tour to Rancagua and other production areas near Santiago was presented by Special New Fruit Licensing, which is based in Spain. SNFL is the owner of the Sheehan Genetics varieties. In Mexico, the varieties are being licensed directly by Sheehan Genetics. SNFL also has offices in Chile, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Miguel (Miky) Suarez Sr., MAS’ majority partner, attended with his four grower-partners from Caborca, and an associated Sonora grower who produces in Hermosillo.

Suarez and his colleagues in 2015 got a license to plant eight new white and red seedless grape varieties from the Sheehan program. These young plantings won’t produce until 2017, so the Chile trip allowed seeing the varieties in commercial production. Furthermore, “this year we have acquired more bare-rooted plants, when we have already planted this year. We will have no results until next or the following year. We were invited by SNFL-Sheehan to their field days to visit nurseries with their varieties.

“The fruit looked very nice, both the red and white,” Suarez indicated. “We saw good sizes, color, taste and crunchiness. The Brix levels are pretty high and they’re consistent. It’s a good, crunchy, sweet grape. The flavor is similar to what we already have.” For growers, a primary advantage of the newer varieties is a lower production cost because of different management practices, he said. “The cost is less expensive than the varieties we currently have.”

MAS recently got a license to plant a black seedless variety from the Sheehan program, which is also promising.

Suarez said the Chilean vineyards “definitely have different growing conditions” than what exist in Sonora. So, while “we have an idea of what is going to happen, we still have to see what the result are for our climate, area and water.”

MAS’ license of the new varieties started with the aging of its current white grape varieties. “When they get to a certain age, their yields start going down.” This creates an opportunity to revitalize production with better varieties. “The grape industry is changing in varieties. There are a few companies coming out with new varieties. There will be changes and we want to keep up with the changes.”

Suarez said his new varieties are also being produced in California. “We saw them there, first, in commercial production.”