Here in Mallorca, the annual wine harvest usually starts in August when white grapes are collected. The red grapes are normally gathered to coincide with the September full moon, i. e. now. A friend of mine partook in a Verema sometime last week, whereas I was permitted to take a few photos yesterday at a Bodega near Manacor, thank you very much. The grapes grown here, in the area of Son Macià, are of the Manto Negro as well as the Callet variety. Toni, the proprietor, expects to collect some 3,000 kilogrammes of grapes from this parcel·la of just under one quarterada (7,103 square metres). The Callet grape of this piece of land is the actual grape that was used for the very first Ànima Negra red wine some 17 years ago. Now, Toni uses his grapes from this parcel of land for his own wine (Son Vell, 7 €). He still sells Callet grapes to ÀN Negra every year but, not from this tros (staked area) which he considers his best.

I was also allowed to attend the de-stalking and crushing of Fogoneu Mallorquí grapes (photo below) at Toni’s Bodega, yesterday. When the most (must) was put into the tank to start the fermentation process, Toni took the measure of the grau (residual sugar content) and was surprised to find a 12° reading. This is the highest sugar content that he has ever recorded in all his many years of wine making. Toni thinks it is because the grapes have not seen any rain during all of this Summer. It should make for a very fine wine indeed, he thinks. Something to look forward to.

We can all look forward to the Festa des Vermar in Binissalem, this week and next (September 9th to 25th). Check details from the Binissalem website as long as you are not afraid of the Catalan language. Click on the field marked ‘XLVII Festa des Vermar‘ on the column on the right hand side for a PDF download. Enjoy the Festa.

The photos were taken between Felanitx and Manacor, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: September 13th, 2011. The time was 19:09:31 and 18:36:10, respectively.