Burning the Grape Vines

Here in Manilva, if we see a plume of smoke rising above the horizon during the summer, everyone fills with dread wondering where the fire is and listens out for the inevitable sound of the fire planes and helicopters.. To be honest – sometimes you see the helicopters before you see the smoke!!

However, see a plume of smoke this time of year and no-one bats an eyelid.. This is because the vineyard owners burn off the grape vines during late January and through February in preparation for next years crop. 20130207_102900Manilva is famed for its many vineyards and its wine industry so you can virtually guarantee that you will see smoke coming from somewhere nearby almost every morning… Heaven Forbid, there was an actual fire …we’d probably all ignore it!!