Can grapes bring you luck? Spaniards believe so, and at midnight on New Year's Eve all across the country it's a race to gobble 12 grapes all before the first minute of the year passes.

Avoid woody or wrinkled grapes. Grapes that hang loosely from their stalks should be sweeter, but will have a shorter lifespan. Some grapes don’t peel easily, in which case cover a small ...