Officials say Gloristar could succeed Shine Muscat as the newest “luxury” grape offering
Korea has shipped a new table grape variety, Gloristar, to China for the first time, with officials suggesting it could be the next Shine Muscat, according to a report by Seoul Economic Daily (SED).
Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced they had completed the shipment on 28 October.
The new variety, Gloristar, was developed by the Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services. It is a red grape with large, seedless berries, high sugar content and a crisp texture.
The inaugural shipment follows a buyer tour last month hosted by aT where Chinese fresh-produce buyers visited Korea’s grape-growing regions and participated in export consultations, which led to the Gloristar contract, according to SED.
Given Gloristar is still a new variety, the number of vineyards meeting Chinese import requirements is small, the aT said in in the announcement adding that the volume available for shipment would therefore be limited. With this in mind, the agency has worked with the Korea Grape Export Union, exporters and growers, to secure the entire available 2026 volume for export to China. To support the introduction of the new variety, it will hold promotional events at premium retail outlets in Shanghai and Shenzhen next month.
“We will raise output and support overseas market entry to make Gloristar the next Shine Muscat,” said Jeon Ki-chan, executive director for food exports at aT.
Shine Muscat, a green grape developed in 2017, originally won over Chinese consumers with its large seedless berries, crisp texture, high sweetness, and distinct floral aroma. The once “luxury” grape has seen prices slide in recent years as planting area and output have surged and lower-quality fruit has entered the market.
Korea’s grape export value reached US$85.7mn last year, up from just US$23.5mn in 2019, according to the agriculture ministry. This has continued to rise into 2026 with exports through September reaching US$56.3mn, a rise of 54.5 per cent on the same period last year. The Korean government has set a grape export target of US$112.5mn for this year, according to SED.
