Features Fruit Production
Bunch of premium grapes auctioned for $910

August 18, 2008, Tokyo, Japan – A
new variety of premium grapes debuted in Japan recently, with a single
bunch fetching as much as $910.

August 18, 2008, Tokyo, Japan – A new variety of premium grapes debuted in Japan recently, with a single bunch fetching as much as $910.

A Japanese hotel manager paid that amount, or about $26 per grape, for a 700-gram bunch of the Ruby Roman grapes to serve guests at an upscale hotel.

A local agricultural official says they're delicious, describing them as sweet but fresh at the same time, very well-balanced.

The tomato-coloured grapes made their debut at an auction in northwestern Japan, where they have been under development since 1994 in a state-led project.

The bunch that fetched the top price had about 35 grapes, each slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball.

The average price for the Ruby Roman grapes at the auction was about $245 a bunch.