Grape juice supplier Welch’s Global Ingredients Group has embarked on a foray into the wine industry. The company has launched a Niagara grape juice solution that is designed to be a cost-effective but high-quality filler or base wine for a broad variety of different wine styles.

The Niagara grape is a white grape with a golden hue. It delivers a sophisticated flavor profile that is crisp, sweet, light and refreshing and its juice is a popular ingredient in the juices and soft beverages category. Now R&D specialists at Welch’s Global Ingredients Group have developed a de-characterized version of the juice that is perfect for fermentation and blending with wine made from more traditional wine grape varieties and even other fruits.

Juice grapes typically sell at a significantly lower price when compared to wine grapes, which means the new de-characterized Niagara is a perfect option for winemakers looking to reduce raw material costs without impacting quality. 

Welch’s Global Ingredients Group is also unique in that it can supply ingredients from multiple regions across the United States. It has plant locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Washington State. This footprint, along with 40+ million gallons of bulk storage, allows Welch’s Global Ingredients Group to provide regional winemakers with both storage and freight savings opportunities.

Welch’s Global Ingredients Group also supplies Concord grape juice to the wine production sector. The Concord grape is a distinctive dark purple grape variety with a sweet bold flavor and is suitable for making Concord wines or as a filler in select red wines where the unique Concord grape’s flavor and aroma notes are desired.

“We’re excited to be expanding our capabilities to provide a cost-effective ingredient solution for the winemaking industry,” says Kevin Kilcoyne, vice president and general manager, Global Ingredients Group at Welch’s. “This will be an important market for us going forward, and we have further winery-specific innovations in the pipeline.”

About Welch’s Global Ingredients Group

Established in 2014 as a division of Welch Foods, Inc. (Welch’s), Welch’s Global Ingredients Group offers grape juice expertise and solutions to companies across the globe. Our primary ingredients are made in the USA and include Concord and Niagara grape single-strength juices, juice concentrates and purées, as well as a range of powders and fruit bites. Our sales territories are North, Central and South America; Asia, with special emphasis in Japan, Korea and China; and EMEA. In EMEA and China we operate through our distribution partner, WILD. 

Welch’s is the processing and marketing subsidiary of the National Grape Cooperative. Located across America and in Ontario, Canada, the cooperative’s approximately 825 family farmers own the company and grow the delicious and inherently healthy Concord Grape used in Welch’s juices and other grape-based products. Welch’s is committed to research and development that will meet the growing demand for products that address consumers’ health and nutrition needs. Welch’s products are sold throughout the United States and in approximately 40 countries around the globe. 

Visit http://www.welchsgig.com/ for more details.