As the Mexican table grape season begins to ramp up, early Sonoran harvests are already making their way to market, with first arrivals landing in late April and early May. For grower-importer Divine Flavor and its parent company Grupo Alta, the 2026 season marks an exciting milestone in early-season innovation with the first harvests of ARRA Honey Pop.
Developed in partnership with Grapa Global, ARRA Honey Pop represents years of collaborative trials aimed at redefining expectations for early-season grapes. The goal was clear: deliver a white seedless variety that combines true earliness with exceptional eating quality, something long considered difficult to achieve.
“ARRA Honey Pop is exactly the type of early-season white seedless grape we’ve been looking for, and while this year’s crop is still limited as we continue expanding plantings, we’ve been extremely impressed with what we’ve seen so far in our vineyards,” said Alan Aguirre Camou of Divine Flavor. "The fruit has shown outstanding sweetness, crunch, and flavor, and we’re very excited about the future potential of this variety in the seasons ahead.”
According to Grapa’s commercial team, ARRA Honey Pop was developed to overcome a long-standing industry challenge: achieving full flavor, texture, and appearance in grapes harvested at the very start of the season.
“It’s our genetics that have made true earliness possible without compromising quality,” said Shachar Karniel, breeder at Grapa Global. “There has long been an assumption that early-season grapes cannot fully develop texture and flavor, but with this new generation—including ARRA Honey Pop, ARRA Fire Kiss, and ARRA Fire Crunch—we’re proving that both sweetness and crunch can be fully realized, even at the earliest harvest timing.”
Beyond eating quality, the variety offers strong advantages in the field. With high fertility, uniform ripening, and minimal intervention required, ARRA Honey Pop delivers consistent fruit quality from vine to market.
From a commercial standpoint, ARRA Honey Pop has demonstrated impressive post-harvest performance—an essential trait for global distribution.
“Our genetics allowed us to avoid common issues like browning, which is often associated with muscat-flavored grape varieties,” Karniel added. “That has enabled ARRA Honey Pop to maintain its clean appearance and quality, while still delivering a subtle hint of muscat flavor.”
Nomi Karniel-Padan, Commercial Director at Grapa Global, emphasized the market-ready attributes: “The grape has a clean, creamy appearance and strong berry attachment, making it ideal for export. When you bite into it, you get that firm, crunchy texture with a light honeydew flavor that consumers really respond to. It consistently arrives in excellent condition, even across longer supply chains.”
For growers within Divine Flavor and Grupo Alta’s network, one of the standout advantages has been operational simplicity. Unlike many early varieties that require multiple harvest passes, ARRA Honey Pop can often be picked in a single pass, ensuring uniform maturity and quality. This consistency translates directly to the consumer experience—delivering reliable sweetness, texture, and visual appeal in every box.
Looking ahead
While ARRA Honey Pop remains in its early stages of production in Mexico, the promising results seen this season have reinforced Divine Flavor and Grupo Alta’s commitment to expanding plantings and continuing investment in next-generation early-season grape varieties.
Together with Grapa Global, the companies are focused not only on advancing the future of early-season grape supply but also on elevating what retailers and consumers can expect from grapes at the very start of the season. With strong vineyard performance and encouraging early feedback, the outlook for ARRA Honey Pop in the coming years remains highly exciting.
*All images courtesy of Divine Flavor.
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