Forget Cotton Candy Grapes, You Need to Try Grape Soda Grapes

For fruit connoisseurs, the produce scene has only been improving over the last few years as companies race to develop sweeter, better-tasting fruit. In the process we’ve gotten fruits like the plumcot, the Sumo mandarin, and the Cosmic Crisp apple coming this fall. But one of the most interesting fruits that’s been ripe for reimagining is the grape. 

Grape nerds have watched over recent years as fascinating new varieties have trickled onto store shelves: Cotton Candy grapes, Moon Drop grapes, Tear Drop grapes, Witch Finger grapes, and endless more types. In every shape, size, and color, designer grapes have been growing on grocery store shelves. And now, Sam’s Club has something new: Grape Soda Grapes. The price for a three-pound bag of these new grapes varies based on location — between $5.48 to $6.98.

Take a throwback to your Fanta, Faygo, or Nehi days with the intensely sweet little drops that embody that nostalgic flavor of grape soda. Wait, you might say, “but doesn’t grape soda already taste like grape?” Not really, if you’ve popped the top of one recently. A Reddit thread last year identified the flavor as “purple syrup.” A representative of Sam’s Club describes the Grape Soda grapes as having “a unique tropical twist,” so I guess maybe purple syrup with notes of coconut?

If you’re wondering how we get these purple syrup-flavored grapes then, look no further than the Grapery, which cross-breeds various grapes to create the designer flavors that have been flooding the market. For the Grape Soda grapes, Sam’s Club will have a limited-time exclusive on the first batch, so you’ll only be able to get them there for a bit — and only in certain stores, so you’ll have to check your local shelves for the new variety.

But with all these cool grapes coming down the line, the real question is what’s the next wild flavor for grape lovers to enjoy?