March 27, 2012, Toronto — ‘Pixie Grape,’ a one-of-kind ornamental, made
its world debut last week at Canada Blooms, Canada's largest home and
garden show.
March 27, 2012, Toronto — ‘Pixie Grape,’ a one-of-kind ornamental, made its world debut last week at Canada Blooms, Canada's largest home and garden show.
This mini-sized grapevine is a stand out with tiny clusters of red-skinned grapes, a perfect showpiece for indoor, outdoor, garden or balcony.
‘Pixie’ is a miniature version of the Pinot meunier variety, a grape traditionally grown for the production of wine and champagne. At only 18 inches tall, it was initially used for plant breeding research at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland), but its potential as a decorative plant was hard to miss.
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| 'Pixie Grape' made its debut at Canada Blooms. |
Sunrise Greenhouses, a leader in greenhouse innovation and a research partner of Vineland, recognized that the unique appearance of Pixie would be a delight for gardeners and homeowners across Canada.
To better understand the market opportunity, Sunrise worked with Vineland's Consumer Insights and Product Innovation expert Dr. Isabelle Lesschaeve to take a hard look at consumer perception of Pixie and marketability. The end result met consumers' demand and is an innovation for the marketplace.
“Pixie is a wonderful conversation piece and a must-have for the wine lover,” said Sunrise Greenhouses CEO Rodney Bierhuizen.
And stay tuned, researchers at Vineland are working to create new types of Pixie grape through breeding with varieties such as merlot, riesling and cabernet franc.
Sunrise Greenhouses was part of Featured Growers of Ontario, a showcase of Niagara Region growers at Canada Blooms.
ABOUT SUNRISE GREENHOUSES
Sunrise Greenhouses is an exclusive producer of many potted flowering plants in North America. Located in Vineland, Ontario, company officials travel the globe to bring new and innovative plants to the marketplace. To produce leading edge plants, Sunrise utilizes the newest greenhouse technology and automation, along with environmentally friendly growing techniques. Combine this with a dedicated staff and Sunrise successfully delivers on the highest quality plants.
ABOUT VINELAND RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is an independent, not-for-profit organization that was created to be a world-class centre for horticultural science and innovation. In its capacity to enable and foster relationships with industry, academia and government, Vineland works to deliver premium product and production innovations. Vineland is funded in part by Growing Forward, a federal‐provincial‐territorial initiative.
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