At Phan Rang market, bunches of dark purple grapes are piled high on the stalls, with sun-dried raisins sitting alongside — this is Ninh Thuận's most presentable signature fruit, already holding a geographical indication certificate since 2012.
Geographical indication certificate issued in 2012, with over a thousand hectares under cultivation province-wide
Vietnam's National Office of Intellectual Property, on ipvietnam.gov.vn and vnidcheck.vn, published Decision No. 194 on February 7, 2012, issuing geographical indication registration certificate No. 00030, with the protected zone explicitly naming Thị trấn Phước Dân and Xã Phước Thuận, Phước Sơn, and Phước Hữu in Huyện Ninh Phước, and Xã Phước Nam in Huyện Thuận Nam. Mainstream outlet VnExpress Du lịch's feature, "Đầu hè khám phá vườn nho Ninh Thuận," and agricultural state media outlet nongnghiepmoitruong.vn's "Nho Ninh Thuận: Loài cây nhỏ nhưng đóng góp rất lớn" cross-confirm nearly 1,053 hectares under cultivation province-wide in 2022, yielding over 25,700 tons a year, rising to 1,061 hectares by March 2023.
Honest clarification: the GI core zone doesn't include Phan Rang City, but agricultural state media notes some scattered planting on the city's outskirts
It has to be said honestly that the official geographical indication protected zone explicitly names specific towns and communes in Huyện Ninh Phước and Huyện Thuận Nam, not within Phan Rang City's core protected territory. But agricultural state media (nongnghiepmoitruong.vn) separately notes that province-wide cultivation is concentrated in Ninh Phước, Ninh Hải, Ninh Sơn, Thuận Nam, and "Phan Rang City" itself, indicating some scattered grape planting does exist on Phan Rang's outskirts (old peripheral wards such as Đài Sơn and Đô Vinh, an agricultural mixed-use zone) — a situation somewhat different from sheep's (cừu) geographical indication, which entirely excludes Phan Rang City's territory, and this entry honestly distinguishes the two. This entry's coordinates anchor on the Phan Rang market retail cluster, the point where visitors actually encounter this specialty. The area and yield figures are drawn from agricultural trade media (2022 statistics, rising to 1,061 hectares by March 2023), not this entry's own estimate. After the 2025 province merger, this geographical indication protection status was officially confirmed to carry over.
How to Buy It Like a Local
- The grape and raisin stalls at Phan Rang market (2 Phố Thống Nhất, Phường Kinh Dinh) are the most convenient retail point.
- To see the vineyards in person, head to the geographical indication's core protected zone in Thị trấn Phước Dân and other towns in Huyện Ninh Phước.
- Both raisins and fresh grapes are worth buying; the dried ones keep longer and make good souvenirs.
An Honest Look at This Bunch's Story
- The geographical indication's core protected zone sits in specific towns and communes of Huyện Ninh Phước and Huyện Thuận Nam, not within Phan Rang City's own territory.
- Agricultural state media notes some scattered planting does exist on Phan Rang's outskirts — a situation not quite the same as sheep's GI, which entirely excludes Phan Rang City, and this entry honestly distinguishes the two.
- The cultivation area and yield figures are drawn from agricultural trade media's own statistics, not this entry's own estimate.
Pop a dark purple grape into your mouth — sweet, tart, and juicy. The certificate behind this bunch, issued back in 2012, may not name Phan Rang City itself as the place of production, but the fruity aroma drifting through the market stalls has long since become a scene this city can't do without.