Built on deep agricultural roots in Mexico, Divine Flavor has developed into a multi-origin supplier of premium grapes and vegetables. Its strategy combines flavor, responsible production and close grower partnerships with an increasingly year-round offer.
Divine Flavor may be best known for its premium table grapes, but behind the brand lies a much broader story of agricultural expertise, strategic partnerships and continuous improvement.
The company’s origins stretch back to 1989, when Don Enrique Camou, Carlos Bon Sr. and Alán Aguirre Sr. established a 10-hectare table grape vineyard in Hermosillo, Sonora. That farm developed into Grupo Alta, today one of Mexico’s leading producers of table grapes.
Divine Flavor was created in 2006 as Grupo Alta’s marketing and distribution company in Nogales, Arizona. From those beginnings, it has expanded into a network of more than 40 growers producing grapes and vegetables across Mexico and other important growing regions.
“Grupo Alta remains our principal grower, but over the years we have brought in partner growers who complement our programs,” says Michael DuPuis, public relations manager at Divine Flavor. “The goal is to work with like-minded producers who share our commitment to quality and want to keep improving.”
Table grapes remain the company’s flagship product. Divine Flavor markets more than 20 commercial varieties, including Cotton Candy, Sweet Globe and Autumncrisp grapes.
The company is working toward a program of close to 20 million boxes annually, supplied from Mexico, Peru, Chile and, increasingly, California. This diversified footprint enables Divine Flavor to extend availability and reduce the gaps between regional seasons.
Its South American partnerships, including relationships with Exportadora Santa Elena in Chile and Ecosac in Peru, among others, play an important role during the Northern Hemisphere winter. As supply from Chile and Peru winds down, production moves northward to Mexico.
Within Mexico, Divine Flavor and its growers have expanded beyond their traditional bases in Sonora and Sinaloa to include Jalisco, Bajío, central Mexico and Baja California, allowing crops to be harvested during a wider range of windows.
Investment in Jalisco
A particularly important investment has been Grupo Alta’s Don Mario farm in Jalisco. Developed in a previously untested production area, the operation has become Mexico’s earliest commercial table grape program, beginning around the end of March.
The farm produced more than 2 million boxes in its latest season and concentrates on a limited selection of high-performing varieties, including Autumncrisp grapes, Cotton Candy, Sweet Globe and Timpson.
Divine Flavor is also testing production and postharvest techniques designed to extend Mexican Autumncrisp availability into June. This could enable the company to continue supplying the variety after South American volumes have finished and before the main Sonora season reaches full production.
“Our customers trusted us and helped us understand where the opportunities were,” DuPuis explains. “The Jalisco project was developed to give those retail partners premium grapes for longer. We now have both the first production area to harvest in Mexico and one of the last, which is a very strategic position.”
Although grapes are its “bread and butter,” Divine Flavor has also built a substantial vegetable portfolio. Its conventional and organic range includes bell and mini peppers; English, slicer and Persian cucumbers; Roma, grape and specialty tomatoes; squash; and zucchini.
Rather than continually adding commodities, the company is focused on strengthening its established categories, identifying high-flavor varieties and extending their availability toward 365-day supply.
“Continuity and consistency are extremely important in produce,” says DuPuis. “Production traditionally follows the sun from one region to another. By working in different locations and using advances in greenhouses, hydroponics and growing methods, we can offer our core products for longer periods.”
Close Relationship
Central to this model is Divine Flavor’s close relationship with its suppliers. Many growers pack exclusively under the Divine Flavor label, giving the company greater visibility over production and enabling its teams to work directly with farms on specifications and performance.
These relationships are underpinned by six pillars: quality, food safety, social responsibility, traceability, organics and sustainability. Through its Better Grower Program, Divine Flavor regularly evaluates participating operations and identifies areas for improvement.
Everything begins with quality and flavor. For retailers, however, a consistently good eating experience must be accompanied by reliable shelf life, rigorous production standards and the flexibility to meet different packaging requirements.
Divine Flavor supplies customers across the United States and Canada in formats ranging from bags and clamshells to convenience, club-store and bulk packs. Packaging programs are designed around the needs of individual retailers while protecting product condition throughout the supply chain.
Weather volatility, changing pest pressures and shifting production calendars remain unavoidable challenges. Divine Flavor’s response is to diversify its growing locations, invest in suitable varieties and partner with producers equipped to adapt.
“Producing at this scale requires the best growers and the right varieties at the right time,” DuPuis says. “We want partners who are prepared to invest, expand and keep raising the bar.”
That approach is transforming Divine Flavor from a seasonal Mexican grape specialist into an increasingly year-round fresh produce platform — while preserving the grower relationships, family values and focus on flavor on which the business was founded.