Everyone loves this classic sweet, crunchy, cool and creamy grape salad! It's a deliciously fun side dish for picnics and potlucks, or any casual gathering.
Remove the grapes from the grapevines and place in a colander. Rinse well. Then gently pat dry with paper towels. Place the grapes in a large salad bowl.
Set out a second medium-sized bowl. Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high with an electric hand mixer until very smooth. Then beat in the sour cream. Scrape the bowl and beat again to make sure there are no clumps present.
Scoop the cream cheese mixture over the grapes and gently fold to coat all the grapes in creamy dressing. Cover and refrigerate.
Set a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped pecans, brown sugar, and a good pinch of salt to the skillet. Stir the pecans in the molten sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are very well coated.
Turn off the heat and allow the nuts to rest for a minute. Lay out a sheet of wax paper and dump the candied pecans out on the wax paper. When they are cool enough to touch, break the candy pecans apart. Allow them to cool to room temperature, then place in a Ziploc bag and store until ready to serve.
When ready to serve this grape salad, remove from the refrigerator and sprinkle the candy pecans over the top!