Fresh fruit & vegetables · Buyer profile
Table grapes for commercial buyers: classes, bunches and storage
Vitis vinifera L.
Fresh table grapes are graded in Extra Class, Class I and Class II.[1]
Bunch weight and maturity are separate requirements: FFV-19 sets a 75 g minimum bunch weight for Extra and Class I, subject to the single-serving exception.[1]
Free for buyers. One reviewed request; our team approaches suitable independent suppliers and returns comparable proposals — you never deal with a supplier directly, and suppliers cannot pay for placement. Assisted sourcing applies to programmes of USD 250,000 or more per year or season.
Educational profile, not an offer. Facts are general and come from the numbered sources; guidance boxes are our own buyer advice. No verified supplier offer for this item is on file — origin, grade, certification, packing and timing are confirmed per offer, with evidence, during sourcing.
At a glance
Short answers to the questions buyers ask first. Each answer comes from the numbered sources below.
- Which types do buyers specify?
- Seedless, Seeded, Red and black cultivars.[2]
- How is quality graded?
- Class I requires good quality and firm, firmly attached berries, with bloom intact as far as possible.[1]
- What do the sources say about seasons?
- The December 2025 Peru report describes an October–April harvest, progressing from north to south.[3]
- How is it stored and shipped?
- Recommended berry storage temperature is −1 to 0°C.[2]
- What makes it premium?
- Extra Class requires superior quality and the characteristics of the variety, allowing for the growing district.[1]
What table grapes are
Recognized types and varieties
How the types buyers name in requests differ, as described by the sources. Pick one to carry it into your request.
Seedless
- Seedless cultivars generally have berries less firmly attached to the cap stem than seeded cultivars.[2]
Seeded
- Berry attachment is generally stronger in seeded cultivars than in seedless cultivars.[2]
Red and black cultivars
- California harvest maturity criteria also include a minimum color requirement for red and black cultivars.[2]
Commercial formats, classes and grades
- Class I requires good quality and firm, firmly attached berries, with bloom intact as far as possible.[1]
- Class II requires the minimum quality requirements, with berries sufficiently firm and sufficiently firmly attached.[1]
- Sizing is by bunch weight; the 75 g minimum for Extra and Class I does not apply to packages intended for single servings.[1]
- FFV-19 does not prescribe a minimum berry diameter; berry diameter is therefore a separate buyer specification, not a UNECE minimum.[1]
- The normal minimum refractometric index is 16° Brix.[1]
- At 12.5° to below 14° Brix, fruit is accepted only with a sugar/acid ratio of at least 20:1.[1]
- At 14° to below 16° Brix, the required sugar/acid ratio is at least 18:1.[1]
- France and the United States record a reservation on the uniform minimum maturity approach across varieties and origins.[1]
- Extra Class allows 5% by weight of bunches meeting Class I rather than Extra; within that tolerance, at most 0.5% in total may meet Class II.[1]
- Class I allows 10% by weight of bunches meeting Class II; within this, at most 1% in total may fail Class II/minimum requirements or have decay.[1]
- Class I additionally allows up to 10% by weight of sound, intact loose berries.[1]
Typical uses and buyer profiles
Who typically specifies this — general guidance
- Build a specification around your receiving operation and intended sales channel.
Seasonality and sourcing considerations
Season windows are shown as the sources state them; confirm packing or harvest weeks with each supplier for the season you buy.
Storage, handling and logistics
- Recommended berry storage temperature is −1 to 0°C.[2]
- Recommended relative humidity is 90–95%.[2]
- Berry freezing points vary with soluble solids, from about −2.7 to −3°C; a stem freezing point of −2°C has been reported.[2]
- Continuous-release SO2 pads or sulfur dioxide fumigation are among the measures used to reduce Botrytis infection.[2]
- Market life varies with cultivar, temperature management and decay susceptibility; the grape sheet gives no single storage-life duration.[2]
- Gray mold can develop at temperatures as low as −0.5°C and spread from berry to berry.[2]
- Table grapes are not very ethylene-sensitive, although exposure above 10 ppm may contribute to berry shatter.[2]
- Controlled atmospheres of 2–5% oxygen and 1–5% carbon dioxide are not recommended in this sheet because benefit is slight and SO2 is used for decay control.[2]
Strengths, trade-offs and best fit
Strengths
- Berry firmness and high soluble solids or soluble-solids/acid ratio contribute to consumer acceptance.[2]
Trade-offs
- Shatter increases with maturity and can be aggravated by rough handling.[2]
Best fit when… — general guidance
- Compare offers against the same grade, size, maturity and arrival-condition brief.
What to state in your request
- State the commercial type and acceptable substitutions.
- Specify grade, size range and inspection tolerances.
- Set the shipment window, destination and delivery terms.
- Request a temperature plan and arrival-condition acceptance criteria.
- Define pack weight, labeling and required documentation.
Start your request with these requirements
Fill in what you already know; it is carried into the request form, where you add your programme value and contact details. Nothing is sent until you submit the form.
Free for buyers. One reviewed request; our team approaches suitable independent suppliers and returns comparable proposals — you never deal with a supplier directly, and suppliers cannot pay for placement. Assisted sourcing applies to programmes of USD 250,000 or more per year or season.
Often requested with table grapes
Starter kits group products that buyers commonly source in one programme. The notes explain how the lines depend on each other — they are our general guidance; the product facts stay on each sourced profile.
Counter-season premium fruit programme
For importers and retailers who want one request covering the main premium fruit lines of the off-season: cherries, blueberries and table grapes, with mangoes as an option.
Our guidance: Each fruit has its own storage temperature (see the sourced handling line under each product). Plan separate reefers or compartments where the ranges differ, rather than one mixed load.
Compliance, documents and who is responsible
- Requirements for table grapes depend on the product and on the origin and destination countries — check them for your own market before you commit.
- The producer or exporter is responsible for the product and shipment requirements; the buyer or importer for import permissions, local rules and its own due diligence.
- Certificates (for example GLOBALG.A.P., BRCGS, ASC, BAP, organic or halal) are requested per offer and checked against the issuing body or official register. Global B2B Group does not manufacture, export or certify products and does not give legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does UNECE require a minimum berry diameter?
No. FFV-19 sizes by bunch weight and does not set a minimum berry diameter; specify diameter separately in the RFQ.[1]
How long can grapes be stored?
The UC Davis sheet gives no universal duration. Market life depends on cultivar, temperature management and decay susceptibility.[2]
Related guides and tools
- Fresh fruit & vegetables: category guide
- Compare with avocados
- Compare with cherries
- Compare with blueberries
- Compare with mangoes
- Compare with citrus
- Compare with durian
- Compare with tomatoes
- Indian grapes to Vietnam and Indian produce to Canada: what APEDA published
- Global B2B Opportunities Center: verified trade corridors
- Fresh produce sourcing
- Write a measurable produce RFQ
- Peru export flows: berries, grapes, avocados and citrus
Farm, plant or input projects
Production projects behind this product — farms, hatcheries, processing or growing systems — are handled by our specialist platform.
SeedMatchSources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. Dates are those shown on each source, or the date we checked an undated page.
- 1.UNECE Standard FFV-19: Table grapes, 2025 edition (opens in a new tab) — UNECE, 2025
- 2.Grape produce fact sheet (opens in a new tab) — UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center, May 1998
- 3.Peru Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual (GAIN PE2025-0027) (opens in a new tab) — USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 2 December 2025
Profile last reviewed 2026-10-25. Report a correction via contact.
Global B2B Group is committed to conducting its own activities in accordance with applicable law. It facilitates sourcing and RFQs and does not itself produce, manufacture, export or sell the listed products, or approve them on behalf of any authority. Suppliers are responsible for the products and shipments they offer and supply meeting the requirements of the origin and destination countries — for example safety, quality, labelling, traceability, sanitary or phytosanitary certificates and export documents, where relevant. Buyers remain responsible for their own import permissions, local requirements and due diligence. Requirements differ by product and country; this is not legal advice. Compliance & responsibilities · Terms