This masterpost serves as a reference guide to recall the distinctive characteristics of various table grape varieties. In cases where the specific variety is unknown, visual and physical descriptions are provided.
To earn 5.0″] for taste, the grape must not only possess a bright grape flavour with vibrant sweetness but also additional characteristics, e.g. floral or candy notes, that set it apart from other grapes.
To earn 5.0″] for texture, the grape must be firm, crisp and crunch, while maintaining a tight grip on the stem.
Black Grapes
Candy Crunch
This is the Candy Crunch from Palms Vineyards, available mid-to-late-season.
These grapes are officially described as having a ‘fruity bubblegum punch with a delightful candy aroma’.
The grapes in each cluster were a black-blue hue, covered with delicate bloom, and emitted a sweet grape aroma. They were uniform and large in size, with an oval elongated shape, measuring approximately 3.5 in diameter and 4 cm in length, tightly clinging to the stem.
Upon tasting, the grapes’ firm skin offered a satisfying crispness, revealing juicy pulpy-like flesh with a sweet, fruity musky flavor and minimal acidity. However, we didn’t discern the promised ‘bubblegum’ flavor or ‘candy’ aroma. While the skin was slightly thicker than that of regular grapes, it wasn’t fibrous, yet it did leave a lingering astringency. Overall, while these grapes impressed with their exceptional size and texture, their taste didn’t particularly stand out.
- Taste: 4.0
- Texture: 4.5
These Candy Crunch Grapes from Palm Vineyards were grown in Victoria, Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in March 2024.
Candy Dreams
This is the Candy Dreams from Cordoma Group, available mid-to-late-season.
These grapes are officially described as having a ‘unique intense tropical fruity flavour with nuances of pineapple and mango’.
The clusters of grapes were a black-blue hue, covered with a delicate bloom and had an intensely sweet aroma. Each grape was uniform and petite in size, with a round oval shape measuring approximately 1.5-2.0 cm in diameter, tightly attached to the stem.
Upon tasting, the grapes’ thin skin offered a satisfyingly crisp bite, revealing firm and juicy flesh beneath. Immediate upon tasting were robust tropical notes, characterized by a bright sweetness with subtle floral hints and a gentle acidity that were very reminiscent of mango and pineapple. As the grapes ripened further, their tropical notes persisted with an accentuating sweetness and diminishing acidity. Overall, these grapes stood out as one of the most distinctly flavoured black varieties we’ve encountered.
- Taste: 5.0
- Texture: 5.0
These Candy Dreams Grapes from Cordoma Group were grown in Victoria, Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in March 2024.
Red Grapes
Candy Hearts
These are the Candy Hearts from RJN CUA Vineyards, available from February to April.
These grapes are officially described as ‘plump, juicy grapes with a unique and distinctive lychee flavour’.
The grapes in each cluster were a red-purple hue, covered with a delicate bloom, and emitted a sweet floral aroma. They were uniform in size, measuring approximately 2 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm in length.
Upon tasting, the firm skin of the grapes yielded a satisfying pop. In the red-hued grapes, the promised notes of juicy lychee were immediately apparent upon reaching the soft, juicy jelly-like flesh, offering a fresh floral sweetness and subtle tropical acidity. However, this subtle acidity, crucial to the lychee notes, was absent in the riper, darker purple-hued grapes, which had a rich, candy-like sweetness. Remarkably, the thicker skin of the grapes remained resilient in the ripe ones, making them enjoyable despite the loss of the lychee notes.
These Candy Hearts grapes shared similarities with Candy Snaps grapes in external appearance, though they were larger and clung less tightly to the stem. In terms of taste, the red-hued Candy Hearts grapes delivered a similar lychee flavour, but the Candy Snaps had a ‘snappier’ crunch, retaining the lychee flavour with a greater degree of sweetness, while the former relied on some acidity.
- Taste: 4.0
- Texture: 4.0
These Candy Hearts Grapes from RJN CUA Vineyards were grown in Victoria, Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in January 2024.
Candy Snaps
These are the Candy Snaps from RJN CUA Vineyards, available from December to March.
These grapes are officially described as ‘sweet with strawberry undertones’.
The grapes in each cluster displayed a red-purple hue, covered with a delicate bloom, and emitted a sweet aroma reminiscent of candy floss. Uniform in size, approximately 1.5 cm in diameter and 2 cm in length, they had clung tightly to the stem.
Upon tasting, the firm skin of the grapes broke through with a crisp snap, with vibrant notes reminiscent of lychee immediately taking centre stage, offering floral sweet tropical tones accompanied by balancing acidity. The intense resemblance to lychee was so strikingly familiar yet pleasantly surprising. It wasn’t until mid-bite that the described hints of strawberry emerged, akin to a cooked-down strawberry compote with a rich sweetness before a fresh acidity returned in the finish, leaving a crisp aftertaste.
These Candy Snaps grapes delivered an unforgettable and delightful flavour, making them a delicious and worthwhile choice for repurchase.
- Taste: 5.0
- Texture: 5.0
These Candy Snaps Grapes from RJN CUA Vineyards were grown in Victoria, Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in December 2023.
Sweet Nectar
These are the Sweet Nectar from RJN CUA Vineyards, available from December to January. These grapes are officially described by RJN CUA Vineyards as having a ‘muscat flavour […] of rose petals and sweet citrus’.
The grapes within each cluster were a red to dark red hue, partially covered in bloom, and emitted a sweet aroma. They were uniform in size, measuring approximately 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm in length.
Upon tasting, the grapes revealed a firm skin that offered a satisfyingly crunchy texture before reaching the crisp flesh. The onset of each grape brought forth a rich sweetness, intensifying with a musky quality typical of darker-coloured fruits. In the second half, a subtle sweet citrus acidity, reminiscent of a sweet mandarin, emerged to provide a fresh finish. This balanced touch of acidity prevented the initial sweetness from becoming overwhelming, enticing us to reach for another grape. Despite our enjoyment of the texture, the promised floral rose notes were noticeably absent.
However, an unintended repurchase of this varietal from Cordoma Group proved the official descriptors of rose and lychee correct, much to our delight — see below.
- Taste: 3.0
- Texture: 5.0
These Sweet Nectar Grapes from RJN CUA Vineyards were grown in Victoria, Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2024.
These are the Sweet Nectar from Cordoma Group, available from December to January. These grapes are officially described by Cordoma Group as having a ‘strong rose muscat flavour’ with a hint of lychee.
The grapes within each cluster were an even dark-red hue, partially covered in bloom, and emitted a neutral grape aroma. They were uniform in size, measuring approximately 2 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm in length.
Upon tasting, the grapes had a tight, firm skin, delivering a satisfyingly crunchy texture before giving way to a pulpy, soft flesh. In stark contrast to the RJN CUA Vineyard grapes, the start of each grape immediately introduced floral rose notes. These notes developed alongside a generous muscat tartness, evoking strong tropical lychee qualities in the body. The presence of rose and lychee endured through to the finish, maintaining equal intensity between each grape.
These grapes closely resembled the lychee flavor found in the Candy Snaps, yet featured a more pronounced acidity that remained enjoyable. This acidity allowed the flavour to persist in each grape without dilution, making them the preferred grape choice.
- Taste: 5.0
- Texture: 5.0
Green Grapes
Autumn Crisp
These are the Autumn Crisp from Cordoma Group, available from March to April.
These grapes are known for their crisp texture and mild-sweet flavour with subtle hints of muscat.
The grapes in each cluster were a vibrant light green hue, partly covered with bloom, and emitted a subtle aroma. They were impressively uniform and large, measuring approximately 3.5 in diameter and 4 cm in length, tightly clinging to the stem.
Upon tasting, the grapes revealed tight, firm skin—firmer than any other grape we’ve encountered—providing both resistance and an audible bursting crunch upon biting. This led to similarly crisp flesh, offering a light muscat flavor that was delicately sweet with a noticeable acidity. The overall combination of texture and taste brought to mind a juicy, crisp Granny Smith apple. While reminiscent of Sweet Globe and Ivory varietals, they lacked the distinctive notes of Cotton Candy. Nonetheless, their standout feature was their remarkable crunch, surpassing all other varietals.
- Taste: 4.0
- Texture: 5.0
These Autumn Crisp Grapes from Cordoma Group were grown in Victoria, Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in March 2024.
Cotton Candy
These are the Cotton Candy from RJN CUA Vineyards, available from mid-February to mid-April.
These grapes are officially described as having a ‘uniquely sweet cotton candy flavour, like summer afternoons at the carnival’.
The grapes in each cluster presented a green hue, covered with a delicate bloom, and emitted a sweet aroma reminiscent of spun sugar. Uniform in size, measuring approximately 1.5 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm in length, they held somewhat loosely on the stem.
Upon tasting, the skin yielded crisply to a juicy, pulpy interior, releasing an immediate and vibrant sweetness that distinctively evoked the taste of cotton candy. Despite boasting a sweetness level measuring 19-20 degrees Brix—sweeter than the average grape—by mid-bite, a gentle hint of fresh acidity emerged. This nuanced acidity contributed to maintaining a fresh and light flavour profile, preventing the grapes from succumbing to the sometimes overwhelming, lingering sweetness characteristic of Thompson grapes.
While these Cotton Candy grapes pleasantly surprised us with their delightful resemblance to cotton candy, their texture lacked the intense crunch found in Autumn Crisp or Ivory Seedless grapes.
- Taste: 5.0
- Texture: 4.0
These Cotton Candy Grapes from RJN CUA Vineyards were grown in Victoria, Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in January 2024.
Ivory
These are the Ivory from Cordoma Group, available from January to February.
These grapes are known for their crunch and sweet, juicy flavour, with some describing it as a light apple flavour.
The grapes within each cluster were a pale green hue, partly covered with bloom, and emitted a refreshing aroma. Uniform in size at approximately 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm in length, they maintained a secure attachment to the stem.
Upon tasting, the tight skin readily yielded to reveal the firm and delectably crunchy flesh. Subsequent bites of the flesh released an incredibly juicy flavour that spreading delightfully across the palate. Despite the juiciness, the sweetness and overall grape flavour remained mellow with almost no acidity. The combination of the incredible crunch and subsequent juicy flesh created an experience reminiscent of biting into a crisp, juicy apple. Overall, these grapes offered an impressive crunch with a subtle flavour and refreshing juiciness, making them easily enjoyable in a single sitting without becoming overwhelmed by sweetness.
- Taste: 3.0
- Texture: 4.5
These Ivory Grapes from Cordoma Group were grown in Victoria, Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in January 2024.
Shine Muscat
- Taste: 5.0
- Texture: 4.5
Sugar Drop
These are the Sugar Drop from Alpha Fresh Australia, available from January to February.
The grapes in each cluster were a light green hue, lacking bloom, and emitted a subtle grape aroma. Uniform in size with an elongated shape, measuring about 2 cm in diameter and 4 cm in length, they were loosely attached to the stem.
Upon tasting, the delicate skin yielded easily, offering a moderately crunchy texture, albeit not audibly so as in the case of the Autumn Crisp varietal. The flesh was meaty and juicy, presenting a mild grape flavour with a gentle sweetness and the faintest hint of acidity, reminiscent of the crisp, juicy apple notes found in the Ivory varietal. Overall, this grape varietal proved to be average in both flavour and texture.
- Taste: 3.0
- Texture: 4.0
These Sugar Drop Grapes from Alpha Fresh Australia were grown in Victoria and purchased in Sydney, Australia in January 2024.
Sweet Globe
These are the Sweet Globe from Treviso Grapes, available from February to May.
These grapes are known for their crunchy firm texture and sweet, slight muscat flavour.
The grapes in the cluster had a light green-yellow hue with a delicate bloom and emitted a sweet aroma. They varied in size and were oval in shape, with the largest being around 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm in length, securely attached to the stem.
Upon tasting the greener grapes, their thin skin crisply yielded to reveal a crunchy flesh with a mild muscat flavour. This flavour was subtly sweet, balanced by a fresh acidity reminiscent of a crisp apple. In contrast, the yellower grapes had a less crisp texture, with a softer, pulpier flesh that was intensely sweet and lacked acidity. We found the texture and taste of the greener grapes enjoyable, as they were at their peak, although they lacked distinctive interest. However, we were not particularly fond of the yellower, overripe grapes.
- Taste: 3.0
- Texture: 4.0
These Sweet Globe Grapes from Treviso Grapes were grown in Victoria and purchased in Sydney, Australia in February 2024.