Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog August 2023

GODSTONE • Aug 01, 2023

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

1st August 2023


July has been an extremely busy month in the vineyard majoring upon the trimming and leaf stripping, especially in our Bacchus vines.

The trimming is done by a local contractor who uses a tractor-mounted machine which trims the sides and tops of the vine rows; reducing the vegetation above the top wire is particularly important otherwise the vines from one row would overshadow the next row and prevent sunlight penetrating the fruiting area.


Leaf stripping has been done by hand (thank you to those of you who have so kindly volunteered your help) and seems counterintuitive ! After all, why would you want to remove the ‘factory’ of the vine ? In the case of a vine the leaf takes one month before it provides help to the fruit (meanwhile using the plant’s energy) after which it only produces energy for three months and, therefore, by the end of July all that a leaf is doing is creating shade and humidity on the fruit.


Leaf removal promotes aeration on the fruit and increases exposure to the sun, which in turn aids ripening. In July we leaf stripped the east side of our rows in the hope that any morning sun will dry the overnight dew off the fruit; in mid August we will leaf strip the west side. The image at the top of the article shows a row of Bacchus after leaf stripping and trimming - note the promising bunches !


I hope that you are enjoying the Summer - it’s been a mixed bag in terms of the weather and we could do with a month of decent sunshine to help the grapes.


We have recently introduced a Charcuterie Platter to our menu which features gorgeous cold cuts from Owley Farm in Tenterden, Kent. Why not pop along and try it with a glass of our award winning wine, we are always delighted to see you.


Kind Regards  ,  Jonathan & Family

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog March 2024

By GODSTONE • 28 Mar, 2024
Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog 26th March 2024 Winter has been incredibly wet and outdoor work in the vineyard has been anything but fun - however these are a few of the jobs which have been keeping us busy over the past few months: Pruning our vines - the single most important task undertaken in the vineyard and one which will have the greatest influence on potential yields and quality; Pruning our windbreaks - we have to undertake routine maintenance every few years to ensure that they don’t get too tall or wide - it is a difficult task which requires the expertise of a local contractor; Planting new hedges and trees - we do this every winter and the results are beginning to speak for themselves. Our shop and cafe will remain closed throughout 2024 whilst we deal with a myriad of issues following the devastating loss of our mother last November. If you would like to visit us this year then your chance to do so is via our volunteering days - our two early season ones will be held on: Tuesday 7th May Monday 3rd June Approximately 6 hours of gentle work within the vineyard followed by lunch and free flowing Godstone wine - if you would like to join the fun please let me know asap ! Jonathan & Robert 

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog January 2024

By GODSTONE • 22 Jan, 2024
Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog 22nd January 2024 It might surprise you to know that January is one of the busiest months in the vineyard year. Pruning is in full swing plus we are busy planting new hedges and trees. Pruning is the single most important task in a vineyard because we are choosing the buds that will produce the fruit for harvest. It is a crucial task which helps us to maintain the vine’s formation; regulates the number and positioning of shoots thereby concentrating growth into key areas; improves fruit quality and generally ensures that the vine does not get out of control ! We have some vines which are now 36 years old and if anything the quality of their grapes is improving year on year, however, as you can see from the above image a vine of this maturity also requires some fairly drastic pruning in order to maintain its shape. This winter we have removed as much old bulky wood as possible from the crown of these vines and so far I am very satisfied with the resulting structure. A vine requires a lot of energy to power the sap as it rises up the plant once growth commences in the Spring so we are basically trying to reduce its workload - this happens to the best of us as we get older ! Our shop and cafe are taking a short break whilst we transition the business following the sad passing away of our mother last November; we are very grateful for the many messages of support and kind words you have written to us during this difficult time. We will see you again soon. Jonathan & Robert
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