Every summer season there are a few special items I just can't wait to see in our stores, and Joe Soghomonian's certified organic champagne grapes are on the top of my list come the middle of July. I've been eating Joe's grapes for years and his champagne grapes are among my all-time favorite produce items.This year we're featuring Joe's fruit nationwide and putting the word out about why we are feeling the love. Here's the story:We love champagne grapes for their unusual appearance and sweetness - small, deep purple grapes on tight clusters. The fruit is super sweet and the stems are so tender that they can be eaten along with the grapes.We love the Soghomonians for being an authentic family farm. Joe and Johnni Soghomonian's 540-acre certified organic ranch is located near Fresno, CA, in California's Central Valley. Joe has been a farmer all his life, working on his parents' farm from early childhood, eventually taking over the farm and growing it to its current size. Joe and Johnni's daughter, Natalie, now supervises the harvest and packing of grapes and is the 3rd generation farmer on their land. FAMOUS for their champagne grapes, the Soghomonian's also grow several varieties of table grapes as well as wine grapes. (We're looking forward to later in the summer when the Soghomonian organic wine grapes will be ready. Fresh wine grapes are fragile and delicate, but a wonderful treat eaten out of hand!)We love to satisfy and delight our customers! Expect to find organic champagne grapes at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide from late July through August. Enjoy!
