Grade A apples meet the highest industry standards.  They are what you would find at the high-end grocery stores in New England, but better than that, they are actual orchard apples that have not been processed by the large packing houses to make them all identical.  A process that creates significant waste by throwing away all of the great apple variations you find in a New England Orchard, larger sizes, various, natural shades of color, unique shapes, but all having the highest quality taste.