Did you know…

• California shipped a record table grape crop in 2012, surpassing 100 million boxes for the first time in history.
• There are nearly 500 table grape farming operations in California
• 99% of table grapes commercially grown in the United States are grown in California.
• Grapes from California are available May-January.
• Grapes are considered berries, with an average of 100 berries on a bunch.
• If left alone, a grapevine will spread 50 feet or more.
• One of the most popular Chinese tongue twisters (chi putao bu tu putao pi) means “When you eat grapes, don’t spit out the skin.”  Turns out that’s a good piece of advice! Grapes are a rich source of phytonutrients, which are found in the skin as well as the flesh and seeds of the grape.  One of the most widely known phytonutrients, resveratrol, is being studied around the world for a vast array of promising potential health benefits.
• Bake, blend, broil, dip, grill, pickle...this is just the start of a long list of ways you can use grapes.
• A Spanish tradition called “the twelve grapes of luck” dates back to 1895 and consists of eating a grape with each bell strike at midnight of December 31. This leads to a year of prosperity.