Jonathan's Vineyard Blog October 2022

Jonathan • October 17, 2022

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

17th October 2022


Another year, another harvest!


Our grapes were picked under cloudless blue skies on Sunday 9th October in perfect conditions and thank you very much indeed to all the volunteers who so kindly gave their time to help - we hope that your day was an enjoyable one.


The above image of grape picking was taken by an excellent local photographer called Mick Rock and his beautiful images can be viewed (and purchased) via https://www.cephas.com - just search Godstone on his website to see a drone’s eye view of our harvest!


This year we picked a 50/50 split of Bacchus and Seyval Blanc grapes; the sugar levels were the highest that we have ever achieved at Godstone whilst the pH and acidity were both excellent, all of which leads me to believe that this harvest will produce a superb still white wine that will be available in our shop from May/June 2023.


The hot, dry Summer definitely contributed towards the quality of our grapes although I like to believe that our husbandry - which has moved up a gear - has also made a positive impact upon the quality.


The next two months are relatively quiet times in the vineyard, which is a relief, although we will keep busy with planting more hedges and doing some general maintenance. I am also hoping to squeeze in some days out, pub lunches, jump racing, and watching West Ham! 


Our shop is open every weekend throughout autumn and winter, 10.30am-4.30pm, and we are always delighted to welcome you. If you haven’t already tasted our Sparkling Wine from the 2020 harvest then I would urge you to do so! There is a taste of English Summer in every bottle!


Kind Regards


Jonathan

jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - April 2025

By GODSTONE • April 4, 2025
April is a wonderful month when nature bursts into life after the dormancy of winter; one of my personal highlights is the sight and aroma of wild garlic in the woodlands on the approach to our vineyard. This bulbous perennial, with its distinctive and pungent garlicky smell, is common and widespread across the UK, most widely in deciduous woodland and on chalky soils. Wild Garlic is not to be confused with ‘Lily of the Valley’, especially since the latter is poisonous. Wild Garlic is an ancient woodland-indicator plant and its presence is a sign that you are in a rare and special habitat; it flowers early in Spring and is therefore an important early bloom for the bees and other insects which pollinate them. The bulbs are also a source of food for wild boars, not that I have ever encountered one in East Surrey! Wild Garlic was traditionally used in medicine - its bulb being a key ingredient in tonics for rheumatic problems and high cholesterol. It is nowadays a popular foraged ingredient (my brother makes an excellent wild garlic pesto!) - its leaves can be eaten raw in salads, blanched and used in place of spinach, or made into an interesting soup. April and May are the perfect months to view Wild Garlic and we will be open on one Saturday each month; you can also undertake our ‘Champagne Challenge’ where we see if you can taste the difference between Champagne and a glass of Godstone’s finest ! We’d love to see you. Book for Saturday 12th April https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/springtime-means-wine-time-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1128653175029?aff=oddtdtcreator Book for Saturday 17th May https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-summer-of-wine-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1250415659899?aff=oddtdtcreator Kind Regards to you all Jonathan

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - February 2025

By GODSTONE • February 24, 2025
We have passed “Candlemas Day” - 2nd February - traditionally the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox. In bygone times “Candlemas” was the day of the year when all candles that were to be used in church during the coming year, were brought into church and a blessing was said over them; candles were very important, especially pre-industrial revolution, and some people believed that they gave protection against plague, illness, and famine. However, in reality, candles were important because there were no electric lights ! Snowdrops appear in February. According to legend, the snowdrop became a symbol of hope when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. When Eve was about to give up hope that the cold winters would never end, an angel appeared. She transformed some of the snowflakes into snowdrop flowers, proving that the winters do eventually give way to the spring. We have now settled upon opening one Saturday per month throughout the year, and, these are the dates from March until August should you wish to plan ahead: https://www.godstonevineyards.com/contact If you would like to come and admire the snowdrops in our woodland then we would be delighted to see you on Saturday 15th March. We will be offering tastings and wine sales, alongside platters of local cheeses and charcuterie (perfect for sharing over a bottle of our wine). Please book for Saturday 15th March using the link below: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/springtime-means-wine-time-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1128641620469?aff=oddtdtcreator Kind Regards to you all Jonathan