Start with colour, then size
The quickest split is green, red or black. Green and red grapes cover most of the shelf, with black varieties making up a smaller but distinctive group.
Size is the second split. Berry size varies enormously between varieties — a Thompson Seedless berry is roughly half the volume of a Red Globe. If you have nothing for scale, photograph the bunch next to your hand or a coin.
Table grape varieties compared
| Variety | Colour | Berry size | Seeds | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson Seedless | Pale green | Small to medium | Seedless | Eating fresh, drying into sultanas |
| Menindee Seedless | Green to pale yellow | Medium | Seedless | Eating fresh, crunch and sweetness |
| Crimson Seedless | Deep red | Medium | Seedless | Eating fresh, firm snap |
| Flame Seedless | Bright red | Medium | Seedless | Eating fresh, long shelf life |
| Red Globe | Deep red to maroon | Large, round | 2-4 seeds | Eating fresh, dramatic on a platter |
| Black Muscat | Black | Small to medium | Usually seeded | Eating fresh, muscat aroma, wine |
| Cotton Candy | Pale green | Medium | Seedless | Eating fresh, very sweet, no acid tang |
The details that settle a close call
- Bloom — the cloudy white coating on the skin. It is a natural wax and a strong sign the grapes have not been handled much. Its absence is not a sign of poor quality, just of handling.
- Skin thickness. Red Globe has noticeably thick, slip-off skin. Thompson Seedless skin is thin enough to be barely noticeable.
- Berry shape. Red Globe is almost spherical; Crimson Seedless is slightly elongated; Black Muscat is small and oval.
- Stem colour. Green, flexible stems mean fresh. Brown, brittle stems mean the bunch has been off the vine a while.
- Aroma. Black Muscat has a distinct floral, musky scent that no other table grape shares.
Seedless grapes still sometimes have seeds
Seedless grapes are not truly seedless. They develop from a process called stenospermocarpy, where the seed starts to form and then aborts. What is left is a small, soft, pale trace of a seed that you can usually eat without noticing.
If you bite into a grape and find a hard, dark, fully formed seed, you are most likely eating a seeded variety such as Red Globe or Black Muscat rather than a mislabelled seedless one.
Washing, storing and the bloom question
- Store grapes unwashed in the fridge. Moisture on the skin is what turns a bunch mouldy within days.
- Wash only the portion you are about to eat.
- Keep them in a breathable bag or the original punnet rather than a sealed container.
- Grapes do not ripen further after picking, so buy the sweetest bunch you can find rather than hoping they improve on the bench.
Grapes are one of the hardest fruits to identify at a glance, because almost every supermarket variety is the same shape and roughly the same size. Colour narrows it fast, but the details that finish the job are the ones people overlook: the coating on the skin, the size of the berry, whether there are seeds, and how the berry feels in the hand.
This guide covers the table grape varieties you will actually find in a shop, how to tell the lookalikes apart, and what each one is best for.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is bloom, a natural protective wax the grape produces. It is harmless, edible and a sign the bunch has been handled gently rather than a sign of anything wrong.