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California Wine Atlas

Thompson Seedless

raisin grape · reported 2000–2025

Further reading: VIVC catalog entry

Thompson Seedless, known internationally as Sultanina and originally from Central Asia, is above all California's raisin grape — the TTB's approved name pairs both terms directly. Despite that primary use, CDFA's crush records make it one of the most-processed grapes in the state by sheer tonnage: peak-year volumes have topped 567,000 tons crushed statewide, with 2025 alone totaling about 10,721 tons, tracked continuously across nine districts since 2000. Prices have stayed low throughout, never exceeding $600 a ton, reflecting its role as bulk, concentrate, and juice material rather than varietal wine.

What kind of grape this is

Registry name
SULTANINA

CDFA prints it as Thompson Seedless

Species
VITIS VINIFERA LINNÉ SUBSP. SATIVA (DE CANDOLLE) HEGI
Berry color
BLANC
Country of origin
CENTRAL ASIA
Synonyms
167

names this grape is known by elsewhere, per VIVC

Approved on a US label
Thompson Seedless (Sultanina)

the names TTB permits on a bottle

FPS selections
4

distinct clones and selections held at UC Davis

What is published

Counts describe what this atlas holds for Thompson Seedless, not what California grows. A zero is a published answer: it means the source names the grape and reports nothing under it, or does not name it at all.

0

county-years of acreage

the Grape Acreage Report has never named it in a county table

95

district-years of crush

9 of 17 crush districts, 26 crop years

95

district-years of Brix

tonnage-weighted at the crusher, Crush Report Table 3

0

producers in this atlas

producers whose curated wine list names it — a curated roster of 2,772 producers, not a census of California

regions with a maturity date

not one of the eight cultivars with a

Tonnage and price by district

Reported by crush district — never by county or AVA

All 9 districts on one axis →

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Brix at the crusher

Reported by crush district — never by county or AVA

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