Deciding which apple varieties to plant is one of the most important choices a grower or orchardist can make. With hundreds of new selections entering the market each year, tasting fruit before committing to a planting program can save time, money, and disappointment. If you want to explore what is available, feel free to reach out to us, and we will be happy to point you in the right direction.
From breeder open days to international trade exhibitions, there are more opportunities than ever to sample new apple varieties before signing a license or placing a nursery order. This article walks you through the main routes growers, retailers, and industry professionals use to evaluate new cultivars firsthand.
Where can you taste new apple varieties before planting?
You can taste new apple varieties before planting by attending breeder open days, variety trial events, and specialist horticultural trade shows. These events give growers direct access to fresh fruit from experimental and commercial selections, often alongside technical information on yield, storability, and disease tolerance.
The most reliable route is to contact apple breeders directly and ask about scheduled tasting sessions or variety evaluation days. Many breeding programs, including our own, invite industry professionals to visit trial orchards during harvest season, when fruit is at its best and most representative. This gives you the chance to taste varieties in context, compare multiple selections side by side, and speak with the breeders who developed them.
Nurseries and licensed growers are another valuable source. Some nurseries hold their own demonstration days, where they present new cultivars alongside established ones, giving growers a practical comparison. Regional fruit-growing associations also organise tasting panels and evaluation events, particularly in apple-producing regions across Europe, the United States, New Zealand, and South Africa.
What are apple variety trial days and how do they work?
Apple variety trial days are structured events organised by breeders, research institutes, or grower associations where participants taste and evaluate new and existing apple selections. Attendees typically sample fruit from multiple varieties, score them on taste, texture, appearance, and aroma, and receive technical data on growing performance.
At a typical trial day, fruit is harvested from experimental plots and presented in a controlled setting, often with coded samples to reduce bias. Participants move through the selections systematically, scoring each variety against defined criteria. The feedback collected at these events plays a genuine role in shaping which varieties progress further in a breeding program or move toward commercial release.
Who attends variety trial days?
Trial days attract a broad mix of industry professionals. Growers attend to identify varieties worth trialling on their own farms. Retailers and supermarket buyers look for fruit with strong consumer appeal and reliable supply potential. Exporters and packers assess varieties for post-harvest performance and shelf life. Breeders and researchers use the events to gather structured feedback from the people who will ultimately grow and sell the fruit.
When do variety trial days take place?
Most trial days are held during the apple harvest window, which runs from late summer through autumn, depending on the region and the maturity of the varieties being evaluated. Early-season varieties are typically presented in August and September, while late-season and storage varieties are often tasted in October and November, sometimes after a period in controlled-atmosphere storage to assess how well they hold up.
Which apple trade shows and exhibitions offer variety tastings?
Several major horticultural and food industry trade shows include dedicated apple variety tasting areas. Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Interpoma in Bolzano, and Fruit Attraction in Madrid are among the most prominent international events where new apple varieties are regularly presented to buyers, growers, and industry professionals.
Interpoma, held every two years in the South Tyrol region of Italy, is particularly focused on apple production and innovation. It brings together breeders, growers, and marketers from around the world and typically features variety showcases where visitors can taste cultivars that are either newly released or approaching commercial availability. The event combines a trade fair format with technical conferences, making it a useful destination for anyone serious about understanding where the apple industry is heading.
Fruit Logistica in Berlin takes a broader fresh-produce perspective but consistently features strong representation from apple breeders and marketing organisations. Club-variety brands often use the event to present their latest cultivars to retail and wholesale buyers. If you are looking to discover new apple and pear varieties with commercial potential, these trade shows offer concentrated access to a wide range of options in a short period of time.
How do apple breeders decide which varieties reach tasting events?
Apple breeders select varieties for tasting events based on a multi-stage evaluation process that filters thousands of seedlings down to a handful of candidates with genuine commercial potential. A variety typically needs to demonstrate strong performance across taste, appearance, yield, storability, and disease tolerance before it is presented publicly.
In our breeding program, we evaluate over 10,000 new variety selections every year. The vast majority never leave the trial orchard. Selections that show early promise are advanced to more detailed evaluation, where they are assessed across multiple seasons and growing locations to confirm that their positive traits are consistent and not dependent on a single favourable year or site.
What traits matter most in the selection process?
The traits that carry the most weight in the selection process reflect what growers, retailers, and consumers each need from an apple. Taste and texture are fundamental because no amount of agronomic performance will compensate for fruit that consumers do not enjoy eating. Alongside sensory qualities, breeders assess productivity, fruit size and colour consistency, resistance or tolerance to key diseases such as scab and mildew, and how well the variety holds its quality in storage.
Climate resilience is increasingly important in variety selection. As growing conditions become less predictable, varieties that perform reliably across a wider range of temperatures and rainfall patterns have a significant advantage. This is one of the long-term goals that shapes how we approach our breeding work, ensuring that the varieties we release are built to perform not just today but in the decades ahead.
Why does it take so long for a new variety to reach the market?
The journey from a promising seedling to a commercially available variety typically takes between 10 and 20 years. This timeline reflects the need to evaluate performance across multiple seasons, build sufficient nursery stock, establish licensed growers, and develop the supply chain required to bring fruit to market consistently. Presenting a variety at tasting events is often one of the later stages in this process, signalling that the breeder has confidence in the selection and is beginning to build market awareness.
If you are a grower, buyer, or industry professional looking to explore what is coming next in apple breeding, the best starting point is to contact breeders directly, as they can tell you what is available for evaluation. Get in touch with us to find out about upcoming tasting opportunities and to learn more about the varieties we are currently developing and licensing worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can individual growers attend breeder tasting events, or are they only open to large commercial operations?
Most breeder open days and variety trial events welcome growers of all scales, from small independent orchardists to large commercial operations. The key is to register your interest directly with the breeder or organising body in advance, as many events have limited capacity and prioritise attendees who can provide meaningful feedback or represent a realistic growing or buying opportunity. Regional fruit-growing associations are often a good entry point if you are new to the industry or unsure where to start.
How far in advance should I register for apple variety trial days and trade shows?
For major international trade shows like Interpoma or Fruit Logistica, registering several months in advance is advisable, particularly if you need to arrange travel and accommodation. Breeder-hosted trial days tend to be smaller and more targeted, so contacting the breeding program directly in late spring or early summer gives you the best chance of securing a place before the harvest-season schedule fills up. Signing up for newsletters or following breeders on industry platforms can help you stay informed about upcoming events.
What should I bring to a variety tasting event to make the most of it?
Come prepared with a clear set of criteria that matter to your specific growing situation or business needs, such as target markets, preferred harvest windows, or disease pressure challenges in your region. Bring a notebook or use a scoring app to record your impressions systematically across varieties, as it is easy to lose track when tasting a large number of selections. Do not hesitate to ask breeders and technical staff direct questions about yield data, rootstock compatibility, and licensing terms, since these events are designed for exactly that kind of in-depth conversation.
Is it possible to request fruit samples from breeders outside of formal tasting events?
Some breeders are willing to send small fruit samples to serious prospective growers or buyers outside of scheduled events, particularly for varieties that are approaching commercial release. This is not universally offered and depends on the breeding program's policies, the stage the variety is at, and the availability of fruit from trial orchards. The best approach is to contact the breeder directly, explain your interest and growing context, and ask what evaluation options are available to you.
How do club variety systems work, and how do I find out if a variety I taste is available for me to grow?
Club varieties are managed under a controlled licensing model, meaning that the right to grow and market them is granted to a defined group of growers, often within specific regions or countries, to maintain quality standards and market positioning. If you taste a club variety at a tasting event or trade show and want to grow it, you will need to apply for a license through the breeder or the variety's managing organisation, and availability will depend on whether your region is open and whether grower slots exist. Speaking directly with the breeder at the event is the fastest way to understand the licensing landscape for any variety that interests you.
What is the difference between a variety that is 'commercially available' and one that is still in trials?
A commercially available variety has completed the full evaluation process, has licensed nursery stock in production, and can be ordered for planting through authorised channels. A variety still in trials may be presented at tasting events to gather industry feedback, but it is not yet available to plant and may still be several years away from release, or may ultimately not be released at all if it fails to meet required standards. When attending tasting events, it is worth asking breeders clearly which stage each variety is at so you can plan your planting program accordingly.
How can I stay updated on new apple varieties entering the market without attending events every year?
Subscribing directly to breeder newsletters and following breeding organisations online is one of the most reliable ways to track new variety developments between events. Industry publications covering top fruit growing, regional grower association bulletins, and trade show preview content also provide regular updates on what is entering the pipeline. Building a direct relationship with a breeder or their licensing team means you are more likely to be informed proactively when new evaluation opportunities or commercial releases become relevant to your operation.