As a result of the high amount of sugar in the fruit, Shine Muscat is often considered the best grape developed in Japan. It has a crisp, fragrant flavour, a plump pulp, and has an exceptionally sweet taste. The Shine Muscat grape is native to Okayama Prefecture in Japan, where the long hours of sunlight produce grapes with a high sugar content. The Shine Muscat grapes produced in this prefecture have been officially recognized by Japan as a geographical indication fruit and are considered among the best in the country.
Several other countries have also introduced Shine Muscat grapes in recent years. In spite of this, climatic and geographical conditions, along with plant-culture techniques, can substantially affect the quality of Shine Muscat grapes. Australian scientists have recently cultivated seven new grape varieties that carry Shine Muscat genes and they will go into production in 2022.
The first Australian company to receive the rights to grow these hybrid varieties is Royal Grapes Pty Ltd, a grape producer in Victoria.
“The patents include five red grape varieties (Violet King, Wagamichi, Kotopi, My Heat, Queen Muscat), and two green grape varieties (Yuhou, Appare). In all these varieties at least 50% of the genetic makeup came from Japanese grape varieties. The combination with Japanese grape varieties produced new hybrid varieties that are even more flavorful and larger in size. All these varieties have been through the strict Australian inspection and quarantine process before they were successfully planted in Australian plant nurseries.”
Royal Grapes began investing in these varieties two years ago, according to David, a representative from the company. Each of the seven varieties, among which are five red grape varieties and two green grape varieties, carries at least 50 per cent of Shine Muscat genes. One of the seven is called Yuhou and reportedly boasts a stronger flavour and fragrance than Shine Muscat.
AATI Holding Pty Ltd owns the patent rights to the seven varieties. Bringing these novel varieties to Australia will be a long-term investment for the company. The entire fruit inspection and quarantine process take at least 18 months and the seedling cultivation process takes at least two years.
David explained that most of the grape varieties planted in Australia are from Europe or America, with Asian varieties very rarely being seen on the market today. He strongly believes that in the coming years these shine muscat varieties will gain more popularity, especially in Asia.
David said: “We currently aim for China, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. We select the product quality and packaging method on the basis of specific requirements in each market. That is how we guarantee to satisfy the unique requirements of every group of customers. In China we integrate online and offline sales to reach the widest possible audience, but for the moment we primarily target first-tier cities where consumer power is relatively strong.”
In the best-case scenario, grapes will be available on the market in March next year, and large crops will commence in 2025. From the end of January through April, producers will target overseas consumers in China, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, etc. During the harvest season.
Furthermore, none of the seven varieties have been available in large quantities in any country so far. AATI Holding will also permit other qualified growers to grow these plants in 2022 since they have adapted well to the Australian climate.
David
Royal Grapes Pty Ltd
Tel.: +61 478 801 848
E-mail: royalfresh1974@gmail.com
