Wine Grapes vs Supermarket Grapes: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve ever wandered through a vineyard during a wine tour and wondered why the grapes look different from the ones you’re used to in the fruit aisle, you’re not alone. It’s a question that comes up quite often, and one we’re here to answer.

The short answer is this:

Wine grapes and supermarket grapes are completely different varieties, bred for different purposes. Wine grapes are grown to make the best possible wine, while supermarket (or table) grapes are grown to taste good when eaten fresh.

That single difference explains almost everything else, from their size and sweetness to their skins, seeds and flavour.

But let’s have a deeper dive into it. 

Wine Grapes vs Table Grapes at a Glance

Why Are Wine Grapes Smaller?

At first glance, wine grapes can look a little disappointing, especially if you’re more used to the eating variety. They’re often much smaller than supermarket grapes, with relatively little juice inside.

However, that difference is entirely intentional, on both sides of the coin.

The skin of a grape contains many of the compounds that give wine its colour, aroma, tannins and complexity. By producing smaller grapes, growers increase the ratio of skin to juice, creating more concentrated flavours during fermentation.

Large, juicy grapes are ideal for eating, grown to be seedless for maximum enjoyment with thin skins to eat easily. Small, intensely flavoured grapes are ideal for making wine but wouldn’t necessarily be enjoyable to eat.

Why Do Wine Grapes Have Thicker Skins?

One of the biggest surprises for first-time vineyard visitors is how thick the skins are.

That thicker skin serves several purposes:

• It protects the fruit during the growing season from pests, disease and changing weather conditions.
• It contains the pigments that create the colour of red and rosé wines.
• It provides tannins, which give many wines their structure, texture and ageing potential.
• It contains many of the aromatic compounds that contribute to a wine’s flavour and complexity.

Many of the characteristics people associate with great red wine come from the skins rather than the juice itself.

Because the skins play such an important role, they’re also one of the reasons why every vintage is different. Grapes are a product of their environment, and the weather throughout the growing season has a huge influence on the finished wine.

A warm, dry summer may produce smaller grapes with thicker skins, higher sugar levels and more concentrated flavours. A cooler or wetter year might result in larger berries, thinner skins, higher acidity and more delicate flavours. Frost in spring, heavy rain before harvest, or long periods of sunshine can all change the character of the grapes.

That’s why wine labels often display the vintage year. Unlike many food products, wine reflects the conditions of the season in which the grapes were grown. Even when the same vineyard grows the same grape variety using the same winemaking techniques, the weather can leave a lasting fingerprint on the wine in your glass.

Are Wine Grapes Sweeter?

This is where things get interesting.

Although wine grapes generally contain more sugar than supermarket grapes, they don’t always taste sweeter.

As grapes ripen, they build up natural sugars that yeast later converts into alcohol during fermentation. Many wine grapes are harvested when they reach around 22 – 26° Brix (a measure of sugar concentration), depending on the style of wine being produced.

However, wine grapes also retain higher levels of acidity and often contain tannins from their skins and seeds. Those elements balance the sweetness, so biting into a wine grape can taste surprisingly intense rather than simply sugary.

Why Do Wine Grapes Have Seeds?

Most wine grapes contain seeds because they’re not bred with snacking in mind.

The seeds themselves contribute very little to the finished wine if handled correctly, but the grapes haven’t been selectively bred to remove them as table grapes have.

Supermarket grapes, on the other hand, have been developed over many years to be as convenient as possible. If you’re of a certain age, you’ll remember supermarket grapes also containing seeds, and then a choice between seedless or seeded, which you rarely if ever see now.

Consumers generally prefer grapes that are large, crisp and seedless, so that’s what growers produce.

Can You Eat Wine Grapes?

Absolutely! Our winemakers eat the grapes to make sure the time is right to harvest.

There’s nothing unsafe about eating wine grapes, and many people do while visiting vineyards, if allowed to! 

Just because you can, it doesn’t mean that you should. Vineyards work tirelessly to protect their grapes from things like frosts, pests and birds, and so when visitors decide to help themselves it can be incredibly frustrating. So, always wait until you’re offered!

If you do get given the chance to try wine grapes, don’t expect them to taste like the grapes from your local supermarket. 

Wine grapes are usually:

• Smaller
• More intensely flavoured
• More acidic
• Less juicy
• Full of seeds
• Surrounded by thicker skins

Some people love that concentrated flavour, while others find them too intense for casual snacking. We highly recommend sticking to supermarket grapes for eating!

Why Don’t Supermarkets Sell Wine Grapes?

In theory they could, but most shoppers probably wouldn’t buy them twice.

Wine grapes are generally:

• More seasonal
• Less attractive on the shelf
• Full of seeds
• Smaller than shoppers expect
• More expensive to produce

They’re also grown with winemaking in mind rather than long shelf life or transport, making them less suitable for the fruit aisle.

Can You Make Wine from Supermarket Grapes?

Technically, yes.

People have been making homemade wine from supermarket grapes for years.

The challenge is that table grapes usually don’t have the same balance of sugar, acidity, tannins and flavour concentration that winemakers look for. The resulting wine is often pleasant enough, but it’s unlikely to have the complexity, structure or ageing potential of wine made from traditional wine grape varieties.

Professional vineyards choose grape varieties specifically because they produce exceptional wine, not because they’re enjoyable to eat fresh.

Are Wine Grapes Healthier?

Nutritionally, there’s very little between them.

Both types contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and natural sugars.

Wine grapes may contain slightly higher levels of certain compounds, such as polyphenols found in the skins, simply because their skins are thicker. However, from a dietary perspective, both are healthy fruits when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Why Does It Matter?

The differences between wine grapes and supermarket grapes aren’t accidental. Every decision a grower makes is about producing the best possible fruit for its final purpose. 

A vineyard doesn’t want grapes that survive weeks in a supermarket display.

It wants grapes with concentrated flavour, balanced acidity and enough sugar to produce the desired style of wine.

Similarly, fruit growers aren’t trying to make great Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. They’re growing grapes that people will happily eat by the handful.

This isn’t unique to wine. Consider tomatoes grown for usage in commercially made sauces, versus a salad tomato. There are countless examples of farming for purpose. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all wine grapes seeded?

Almost all traditional wine grape varieties contain seeds, although there are a few exceptions.

Are supermarket grapes a different species?

Not usually. Most wine grapes and table grapes belong to the same species (Vitis vinifera), but they’re different varieties that have been selectively bred over centuries for different purposes. Supermarket grape varieties are more often than not Thompson Seedless and Autumn Crisp for white grapes and Flame Seedless, Red Globe or Crimson Seedless for red grapes.

Why do vineyard grapes sometimes taste sour?

If they’re picked before full ripeness, or if they’re naturally high in acidity, they can taste surprisingly tart despite containing a lot of sugar.

Can children eat wine grapes?

Yes. They’re simply fresh grapes before any fermentation takes place.

The Bottom Line

If you only remember one thing, remember this:

Supermarket grapes are grown to be delicious and eaten fresh. Wine grapes are grown to be crushed, processed and turned into exceptional wine.

Everything else, their size, thicker skins, seeds, higher sugar levels and more concentrated flavours is simply a consequence of that goal.

So the next time you visit a vineyard and notice the grapes look much smaller than the ones in your fruit bowl, you’ll know that’s not a sign of poor quality. In fact, it’s often exactly the opposite.

Click here to book a Wine Tour at Stanlake Park Wine Estate!