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In the late 1800's many Armenians, recognized as some
of the world's most experienced viticulturists, came to the
Central Valley. Even today, many raisin growers in California are of
Armenian descent. Later, in the 1950's, immigrant farmers from India
found great success in the raisin industry and play a big part in the
industry today.
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While the muscat grape was generally regarded as the
best raisin producer, it was a seeded raisin and the consumer
didn't like seeds. Consequently, muscat raisins had to be seeded
and this meant that the seeds were forced through the skin of the
grapes, resulting in a sticky raisin. Raisin sales in the 1870's were limited to people willing to separate the sticky raisins by hand. What
the growers needed, to expand consumer interest, was a perfect seedless
raisin grape.
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Enter William Thompson and His Grape
In 1876, a Scottish immigrant living in the Northern Sacramento Valley
became the man that answered all the raisin growers' prayers. William Thompson first
introduced the Lady deCoverly seedless grape - a thin-skinned, seedless,
sweet and tasty grape - at the Marysville (California) District Fair.
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These grapes, which would later become known as Thompson Seedless
grapes, were precisely what the industry needed.
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Popular as a table grape, Thompson Seedless are still
the best grapes for making raisins. Ninety-five percent of the raisins produced
in California today are made from Thompson Seedless grapes grown in the San
Joaquin Valley. |
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