At the market in Moraira, I see them piled high: bunches of grapes \u2014 blue, green and sometimes almost black. While tourists casually slip a bunch into their bags, I know there\u2019s far more behind those grapes than just a tasty snack. In Spain they say uvas para la vida \u2014 grapes for life. And there\u2019s real truth in that saying. <\/p>\n
Grapes are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Polyphenols such as resveratrol help protect your cells against oxidative stress \u2014 a fancy way of saying they help your body cope with everyday wear and tear from stress, sun and ageing. No wonder grapes are so often labelled a \u201csuperfood.\u201d <\/p>\n
What I love about the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol is that the grape here isn\u2019t just a fruit \u2014 it\u2019s a symbol of the region. In September and October, you see the bunches hanging in the vineyards, ready to be picked. Some end up as fresh fruit on the market, others in the bodegas, where they\u2019re turned into wine. And so you get a fruit that returns to our daily lives in many forms. <\/p>\n
As I walk through the market, I think of Clara \u2014 yes, the one from the photos! She can look at a bunch of grapes for minutes, as if studying a painting. \u201cLook at that colour,\u201d she said recently in the vineyard, \u201cyou can still see the sun in it.\u201d And she\u2019s right, really. In every grape there\u2019s something of the land, the light and the time that came before it \u2014 much more than just flavour. <\/p>\n
You might be thinking: \u201cGreat \u2014 if grapes are a superfood, then wine must be too?\u201d Sadly, that\u2019s not quite how it works. The grape\u2019s real power lies in the flesh and the skin, and those truly shine when eaten fresh. But that doesn\u2019t mean wine has no place. A good glass of red still contains polyphenols \u2014 just in much smaller amounts. So it\u2019s all about balance: grapes and grape juice for nourishment, wine for the experience. <\/p>\n