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

By GODSTONE June 17, 2026
17th June 2026 June is usually a busy month in the vineyard and this year has been no exception. Firstly, bud rubbing and shoot selection has been undertaken - removing unwanted shoots from the trunk - done by hand - after which shoot selection, a critical task which is not so much about keeping the strongest shoots but more about retaining the best positioned ones. Good spacing improves airflow, reduces disease pressure, and makes future tasks more straightforward. Early thinning prevents canopy overcrowding later on. Secondly, we moved on to tucking in, because as shoots extend the main priority is keeping them upright. If done properly this tucking in enables the vines to form a neat hedge-like canopy, thereby improving light distribution and keeping the fruiting zone accessible. In July our main job will be tipping and / or topping the vines, followed by leaf stripping. I will let you know how we get on with these tasks in my next edition of these Notes. We always love to see you and the vineyard is open every Saturday until mid September - with free parking, free self guided vineyard walks, and sharing platters of carefully curated local cheeses and charcuterie, it's a lovely way to enjoy a Saturday this Summer ! (Booking is appreciated and greatly assists with our planning …) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-in-the-vines-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1 987770961455?aff=oddtdtcreator Regards, Jonathan & Robert
By GODSTONE May 15, 2026
May 15th The changeable weather has been the main talking point this Spring in the vineyard. Plus cest la meme chose! March was a mild and changeable month with periods of settled weather interspersed with periods of indifferent weather, the provisional mean temperature was 1.3 degrees Celsius above average; April, on the other hand, was dominated by a static anticyclone which blocked North Atlantic low pressure systems, resulting in a very dry, settled, and sunny month. April was a false dawn. May has been an extraordinary month with a distinctly chilly feel especially at night - many vineyards across England are reporting significant frost damage to the young buds which will, inevitably, result in yield reduction. Godstone is planted on slopes below the North Downs which allow cold air to drain away, flowing downhill and collecting in lower spots out of harms way so, fingers crossed, we appear to have escaped the worst of the cold nights. If you wish to read more about the science and reasoning behind vineyards planted on a slope or flat ground I highly recommend this article: https://grape-to-glass.com/index.php/flat-slope-vineyards/ We always love to see you and are now open every Saturday until mid September - plentiful free parking, stroll the vineyard, relax over a glass of wine with a sharing platter of carefully curated local cheeses and charcuterie, booking is recommended and greatly assists with our planning. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1987770961455?aff=oddtdtcreator Regards, Jonathan & Robert