The tomato category just got a little bit tastier, thanks to a pair of proven industry innovators.

Dulcinea Farms, LLC, of Ladera Ranch, CA has teamed up with Vancouver, BC’s Oppenheimer Group to introduce Dulcinea™ Rosso Bruno™ Premium Vine-Fresh Tomatoes.  As the name suggests, Rosso Bruno sports a rich brown color, but the marketers assert it’s the flavor, not the appearance, that truly distinguishes this tomato.

Sharing the conviction that fresh produce should consistently deliver an excellent taste experience, the partnership between Dulcinea Farms and The Oppenheimer Group leverages each other’s expertise to ensure Rosso Bruno's success, according to Amy Lazenby, director of new products and innovation for Dulcinea Farms.

“Dulcinea's consumer research and marketing know-how, coupled with Oppenheimer's proficiency for bringing top-quality greenhouse tomatoes to market, allow us to provide unparalleled service and support to retailers,” she said.  “Rosso Bruno is an exceptional item, and together we’ll work closely with our customers to help shoppers discover and enjoy it.”

John Anderson, Oppenheimer’s chairman, president and CEO, noted that after Dulcinea’s successful introduction of the PureHeart watermelon caught his attention a few years ago, he began seeing parallels between the two companies.  Oppenheimer is credited for profoundly influencing the flavor of today’s apple category by introducing numerous popular varieties, including Granny Smith, Braeburn and Jazz™, to North Americans over the last half century.

“Like Oppenheimer, Dulcinea is serious about taste,” he said.  “After identifying an opportunity to improve consumer satisfaction with the tomato experience, Dulcinea spent several years evaluating varieties and testing them with consumers before Rosso Bruno emerged as a clear winner.  We are pleased to lend our growing, marketing, and logistics expertise to this exciting initiative.”

Anderson added that because consumers are better attuned than ever before to the flavor of produce, he believes Rosso Bruno has excellent potential.

Lazenby agrees, citing extensive consumer research undertaken by Dulcinea to set the stage for Rosso Bruno’s debut.

“Over half of today’s consumers are dissatisfied with their current tomato choices and are seeking tomatoes with richer flavor,” she said.  “In our in-home taste tests, Rosso Bruno’s taste was preferred four-to-one over traditional medium or large-size tomatoes, regardless of the usage occasion.  Rosso Bruno’s remarkable exterior will help tip off shoppers that this is the tomato with the amazing taste.”

Lazenby calls Rosso Bruno’s brown color both a challenge and an opportunity, and said that the marketers will rely on store-level education and public relations efforts to help consumers learn when the tomato is ready to eat.  Among the tools available for retailers is a colorful card that illustrates how to judge Rosso Bruno’s ripeness and flavor by nuances in its color.

Rosso Bruno is currently being grown at Houweling Nurseries in Delta, BC.  In the autumn, production will move to Houweling’s facility in Oxnard, CA.  It is available in bulk, two-count clamshells, and two-count mesh bags from The Oppenheimer Group.

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