Razzle Dazzle Grape Field Update September 14
Last week was a sweet one in the field! We are rolling full steam, with some awesome fruit being harvested on the Razzle Dazzle program. We wanted to provide another update from the field as we walk rows this Saturday, in anticipation of the great fruit we have harvesting for your business next week.
The weather has been playing a little roller coaster, with temperature fluctuating from the high 80’s to some days back into the 100’s. This swing finally looks to start leveling out and we anticipate good harvest days all next week with high temperatures in the 80’s. Low’s in the high 50’s / low 60’s will allow for continued good color to come on during the cooler evenings.
This is ideal temperatures for grape harvest in September. Some light rains did fall in the Delano and Bakersfield areas early last week, but we were in the fields immediately and don’t see any negative effects. It is still too early for growers to begin tarping vines in anticipation of October rains. Fields were dry and pick totes looked great coming out of the rows.
Continue to plan on great promo opportunity to drive the grape category… and we will stay committed to harvesting the best fruit in the Central Valley.
DAZZLE GREEN GRAPES – Pristine & Autumn King
RAZZLE RED – Sweet Celebration & Scarlet Royal (20 – 22 brix on both!)
RAZZLE DAZZLE BI COLOR – Red and Green
Upcoming Varieties in the bullpen:
Red Seedless Grapes – Jack Salute & Allison
Green Seedless Grapes – Autumn Crisp & more Autumn King
This Weeks Insider Guide – Harvest Pick Totes
The biggest key to the Razzle Dazzle program is field selection. We spend a lot of time picking premium grape varieties, walking the rows and making sure all aspects of the fruit are on point before we decide to harvest. But after all the hard work is done prior to harvest, the real work begins.
We are spending all waking hours in the field as we pick to make sure crews are on point with the quality of the pack. John Zaninovich and Michael Mentges (head QC) are leading the charge with crews on a daily basis to ensure the field selection is also followed up by a great pack. Their multiple years of knowledge on table grapes are guaranteeing the right job in the field.
Harvest/pick totes are one of our big focuses. When crews are harvesting in the field, a runner will go up and down the rows and harvest fruit in totes to bring to the packer to pack in the box.
This includes a range of sizes and quality in the field, then the packer will do the final touch of cleaning and packing the box. A big piece of the Razzle Dazzle program is monitoring what is coming out of the field BEFORE it makes it to the box. Our field selection is putting us in some great fruit, but we are watching the harvest totes like a hawk to make sure everything is on point. The first telltale sign of an issue will be in the tote before it is packed. We are paying very close attention to the quality of the fruit coming out of the field before it is packed. This is key to keep the program at the top of the industry. And our dedication to the field process is hard to match. We feel this is the differentiator for us from the rest of the industry.
John, Michael and the entire DLJ team is devoted to the best execution at field level. Here are a few photos from harvest totes this week that speak volumes to the quality focus and commitment long before it is packed, through cold chain and onto your shelves.
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