The most expensive grape variety in the world

There are hundreds of varieties of grapes grown in Japan, but only one costs a few hundred dollars per grape (per grape, not a bunch). Ruby Roman is grown in Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan and is considered one of the most expensive in the world.

The story of Ruby Roman began in 1995, when Ishikawa growers approached the Prefecture Agricultural Research Center to develop a large red grape variety. 400 experimental vines were planted in the experimental field and two years later the first results appeared. However, out of 400 vines, only 4 turned out to be red, and only one of the grapes was found to be large enough to meet the farmers' expectations. Over the next 14 years, researchers have grown this variety, constantly increasing the size, taste, color.

Today, Ruby Roman is considered the "treasure of Ishikawa". In 2008, shortly after its commercial debut, Ruby Roman received international acclaim, selling for 10,000 yen ($910), or $26 per grape, in a 700-gram bunch. The grape was touted as the most expensive in the world, a reputation that was cemented eight years later when a bunch was sold for a whopping 1.1 million yen ($11,000), or roughly $370 per grape.

Although the name Ruby Roman is used to describe the various grape varieties, each bunch must meet very strict standards to be worthy of the name. For example, each grape in a bunch must weigh at least 20 grams and have a sugar content of at least 18 percent. There is also a Premium class of Ruby Roman grapes, which has even more stringent standards.

To qualify for the premium label, each Ruby Roman berry must weigh over 30 grams and the entire bunch must weigh at least 700 grams. In other words, they must be perfect. Ruby Roman grapes are difficult to buy, mostly only at auctions. For example, in 2010 only six bunches of grapes were certified as premium, and in 2011 none of the bunches were recognized as conforming to the standard. According to the official Ruby Roman website, this grape variety has a very low acidity and an extremely high sugar and juice content. You can currently buy one Ruby Roman grape for 2,000 yen ($19).