January marks the beginning of a lot of arduous work, should you be in the business of growing vines.

The fortnight between New Moon (January 8th) and Full Moon (January 22nd) is the time to cut last year’s vines back and prune them. After some rigorous clipping, the land has to be ploughed and tilled. A tractor will do, if the gap between the rows of vines is wide enough, but the roots of the vine need aerated earth, so you have to get closer to the plant than a tractor would get to it. If you are lucky you will know a local farmer with a horse or a mule, and an old style plough.

I once was the owner of a small acre of vines in Mallorca, growing white grapes. I did everything that my Mallorcan farmer neighbour advised me to do, and I must say that this was the hardest, most back breaking labour that I have ever engaged in.

Now I live in a town house, and I have to buy my supply of wine. Luckily, there is some excellent wine grown and made in Mallorca. Now, I prefer the red wines that are grown in the Pla i Levant region to the east of the island.

The photo was taken in Son Negre, near Felanitx, Mallorca, Spain. The date: January 6th, 2008. The time was 14:41:05.