What are Tear Drop Grapes?

Learn about these uniquely shaped green grapes that will blow your mind with their sweet, delicious flavor. I will also share with you the history of the grapes that include a variety once called Witch Fingers.

I said it before and I will say it again - we are entering into a grape time of year.

The grape section of the produce department is about to come alive with all the shapes, flavors, and colors of the grapes from Grapery.

Not only is Grapery known for their unique tasting grapes like Cotton Candy, they are also know for grapes that look like you never imagined grapes to look.

I always thought of grapes just being round but have learned that they come in different sizes as well. And today we are talking about Tear Drop grapes. Learn all about this variety and when you can expect to find them in stores.

Jump to:

• 📜 History of Tear Drops Grapes
• 👅 What Do They Taste Like?
• ❔ Are They GMO?
• ☀️ When in Season?
• 🛒 Where to Buy Tear Drops Grapes

📜 History of Tear Drops Grapes

So this an interesting story. Back in 2011, a new grape variety called Witch Finger grapes were released. I first heard about them in 2012. I had to patiently wait for my first bite until 2013.

Here is what these grapes looked like.

Before they were called Witch Fingers, they were going by the name Chili Pepper Grapes. They do resemble the shape of some chile peppers. The very hot Thai chile comes to mind.

However do you think my kids would be excited to eat Chili pepper grapes? Probably not.

Plus, I can imagine customers approaching produce workers with questions about whether the grapes were spicy or not (you may laugh but trust me, after years working in the produce business I have heard it all). From a marketing standpoint the name Chili Pepper grapes was not going to fly.

As the Grapery was sampling them, people started saying that they look like Witch Fingers. Light bulb moment. Grapery decided to roll with that name and Witch Fingers were released to the world.

They even released a 2nd variety of uniquely shaped grapes to be part of their Witch Fingers line. The following year those would become Moon Drops, which have become a hugely popular variety.

Witch Fingers to Tear Drops

In 2016, Grapery decided to make the change from Witch Fingers to Tear Drops. The feedback they got from customers indicated that people felt weird about eating a "finger".

Grapery is passionate about listening to their customers. They want the feedback. It's a wonderful quality to see in a company, it is one of the reasons I am a big fan.

The name "fingers" in a grape has stuck in other situations. You may see some other growers using the name "Funny Fingers". It is the same variety.

New Variety

Until 2020, the Tear Drops variety had only been a red grape. A very limited amount of green colored Tear Drops grapes hit stores that year. I was very lucky to score a single bag of these grapes. They are a big bigger than the red Tear Drops but smaller than the black Moon Drops, but equally delicious.

Due to some setbacks, it's taken a while for them to increase their production of the Green Tear Drops but in 2023, they had their biggest crop yet and the grapes became easier to find.

Growing Challenges

Let's not take for granted the challenges that had to be overcome to get Tear Drops into the bag and into our mouths - may possibly have taken a lot of blood, sweat, and TEARS!

Grapery CEO Jim Beagle told me that they are among their hardest varieties to produce. The number one challenge is something the grape industry calls shatter.

Shatter is when the grape detaches easily from the stem. When you buy a bag of grapes you will often find loose ones in the bottom of the bag. The greater the tendency of a grape to fall off the vine, the more you will find in the bottom of the bag and those are the grapes that tend to go bad quickly.

This is why remove these grapes when I buy a bag, so I don't waste my money. Tear Drops' tendency to shatter reduces their shelf life.

Red Tear Drops are more susceptible to heat and wind damage. Factor all these things in and it is a challenge to reach levels of production that will be economical for Grapery.

Sadly, Grapery made the decision to discontinue the original Witch Finger/Tear Drops grapes. They just couldn't get the consistent quality they wanted.

🎧 Learn more about this and this year's crop by listening to my interview with Grapery CEO Jim Beagle.

👅 What Do They Taste Like?

If you normally go for green grapes when you are in the grocery store you are going to fall in love with these grapes. They taste similar to other green grapes, however they are super sweet with undertones of melon in their flavor.

The texture of the grape is different than eating a standard shaped round grapes. You have a higher ratio of skin to flesh that gives them a certain snap similar to what you get with their Moon Drop grapes.

❔ Are They GMO?

No. Tear Drops and all of Grapery's grapes are non-GMO. They were created through natural plant breeding, like every many other new varieties of fruits and vegetables have been developed over the years.

Grapery also employs innovative and sustainable farming techniques that help produce the most flavorful grapes possible. Choosing great varieties isn't enough on it's own, you have to know how to grow them well and their unwavering pursuit of quality and flavor put them right at the top of the industry.

RELATED - What are Gum Drops Grapes?

☀️ When in Season?

Begin looking for Tear Drop grapes in mid August. They are in season until sometime in September.

The season is short on these grapes, so if you have the chance to try them, don't pass it up or you may be stuck waiting until next year.

🛒 Where to Buy Tear Drops Grapes

We have created a master list of all the locations that we know of that sell Grapery grapes. Check out the list here.

I believe Sprouts is going to be your best option. This is where I found them and my sister in law got them as well.

I recommend looking at are Whole Foods Market, Hy-Vee, Kroger and Wegmans. All of these stores have been pretty big Grapery supporters.

If you need help finding Tear Drops grapes, leave a comment below. Also if you have found them, leave a comment sharing with us the store and the city and what you think of them.

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