Fazio will pack Champagne grapes in 'Disney Garden' label
Fazio will pack Champagne grapes in 'Disney Garden' label
FRESNO, CA -- Fazio Marketing Inc., here, will be packing its Champagne grapes this year exclusively for Imagination Farms in the "Disney Garden" brand, according to Tony Fazio, president of Fazio Marketing.
Champagne grapes are tiny, pea-sized grapes that are usually deep purple to red-black in color, are exceptionally sweet and have tender, edible stems. Clusters of the diminutive grapes can be eaten in one bite, stem and all. Fazio Marketing previously sold the grapes as Champagne grapes in clamshells under its "Tri-Borough" label.
Under the new "Disney Garden" label, they are now identified as "Pixie Sweet" grapes, and the Disney character of choice for the label is Tinker Bell. They will be packed in one-pound clamshells with 16 clamshells per master carton. "We are looking forward to the program," said Mr. Fazio, who said that shipments were expected to begin the week of June 25 and continue through "probably about September 15."
Fazio will be handling sales of the product on behalf of Imagination Farms, he said.
According to the Imagination Farms web site, "Imagination Farms LLC is a national fresh produce marketing company founded with the mission of increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables among children." Imagination Farms is the licensed marketer of the "Disney Garden" brand of fresh produce, "offering both organic and conventionally grown products, supplied by leading domestic and international growers and shippers."
"It is a very good program, and we are really looking forward to working with these people," Mr. Fazio said. "The focus of the program is with the kids," trying to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, he added.
The back side of the label has artwork oriented to kids with such things as grape-related games, as well as a code kids can use on the Disney web site to access "some additional games and fun stuff to do, related again to promoting fresh fruits and vegetables."
Fazio Marketing will also have some other grape varieties out of the Fresno area, such as Flames and Thompsons, starting at about the same time as the Champagnes. Flame seedless will start around the week of June 25, which is "at least 10 days early," Mr. Fazio said.
"We are adding additional acreage on our Flame seedless program as well as our Princess program," he said.
With all the varieties, "quality is just excellent" this year, he said. "Weather has been ideal, and bunch structure and uniformity are the best I have seen in at least a decade."
The berries are uniform in size, and there are "nice, broad shoulders on the bunches," he said. "I think the retailers are going to receive the product very well as we get started in the northern deal."
There has been "a lot of aggressive programs" put in place at retail, he said, and that combined with the very nice quality should make for a good deal.
Champagne grapes are tiny, pea-sized grapes that are usually deep purple to red-black in color, are exceptionally sweet and have tender, edible stems. Clusters of the diminutive grapes can be eaten in one bite, stem and all. Fazio Marketing previously sold the grapes as Champagne grapes in clamshells under its "Tri-Borough" label.
Under the new "Disney Garden" label, they are now identified as "Pixie Sweet" grapes, and the Disney character of choice for the label is Tinker Bell. They will be packed in one-pound clamshells with 16 clamshells per master carton. "We are looking forward to the program," said Mr. Fazio, who said that shipments were expected to begin the week of June 25 and continue through "probably about September 15."
Fazio will be handling sales of the product on behalf of Imagination Farms, he said.
According to the Imagination Farms web site, "Imagination Farms LLC is a national fresh produce marketing company founded with the mission of increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables among children." Imagination Farms is the licensed marketer of the "Disney Garden" brand of fresh produce, "offering both organic and conventionally grown products, supplied by leading domestic and international growers and shippers."
"It is a very good program, and we are really looking forward to working with these people," Mr. Fazio said. "The focus of the program is with the kids," trying to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, he added.
The back side of the label has artwork oriented to kids with such things as grape-related games, as well as a code kids can use on the Disney web site to access "some additional games and fun stuff to do, related again to promoting fresh fruits and vegetables."
Fazio Marketing will also have some other grape varieties out of the Fresno area, such as Flames and Thompsons, starting at about the same time as the Champagnes. Flame seedless will start around the week of June 25, which is "at least 10 days early," Mr. Fazio said.
"We are adding additional acreage on our Flame seedless program as well as our Princess program," he said.
With all the varieties, "quality is just excellent" this year, he said. "Weather has been ideal, and bunch structure and uniformity are the best I have seen in at least a decade."
The berries are uniform in size, and there are "nice, broad shoulders on the bunches," he said. "I think the retailers are going to receive the product very well as we get started in the northern deal."
There has been "a lot of aggressive programs" put in place at retail, he said, and that combined with the very nice quality should make for a good deal.
