Jonathan's Vineyard Blog December 2022

Jonathan • December 8, 2022

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

7th December 2022


Christmas attracts more weather folklore than any other day in the calendar but many of the sayings share a common theme : the weather on Christmas Day will be the opposite of what happens later.


“At Christmas meadows green, at Easter covered with frost” and “If at Christmas ice hangs on the willow, clover may be cut at Easter” - the latter one indicative of a good growing season.


The saying “so many hours of sun on Christmas Day, so many frosts in the month of May” and similarly “If Christmas Day be bright and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year” both mean enjoy the pleasure of a mild sunny Christmas because there is pain ahead !


If a sunny Christmas is a bad sign then a hard freeze is good, foretelling a mild winter - apparently if ice on a pond or lake is thick enough to hold the weight of a person on Christmas Day it will not be able to support the weight of a mouse after that !


And now, last but not least, the most important folklore for vineyards in England … a windy Christmas Day precedes a good crop however a windy St Stephen’s Day (26th December) supposedly signifies a poor grape harvest. Apparently a day makes all the difference !


On behalf of my family and staff I wish you all a happy, healthy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Thank you for your support during 2022.


Kind Regards


Jonathan

jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com

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
By GODSTONE January 29, 2026
1st February 2026 February 2nd is known as Candlemas and, apparently, the weather on this day will determine the remainder of the Winter ! Britain being Britain we have folklore sayings such as If Candlemas be fair and clear there'll be two Winters in one year although, in the interests of positive thinking I prefer this one - If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter'll have another flight. But if Candlemas Day be clouds and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again. Therefore keep a close eye on the weather on February 2nd and if it rains then this might be a silver lining! Irrespective of the weather, Winter is always a surprisingly busy time in our vineyard and this one has proved no exception: pruning the vines, planting new hedging, sprucing up our shop and terrace, all of which has kept us on the straight and narrow. As a vigneron you cannot reasonably expect me to do Dry January and, true to form, in the past month I have been experimenting with some outstanding white Burgundies and several local real ales! It's a tough job but someone had to do it. We decided to stay closed between January and the end of March however I am pleased to say that we will reopen on Saturday 4th April, after which we will have many open days throughout the Spring, Summer, and Autumn. If you would like to visit us during April and/or May please register your interest - free of charge - via the links below: Saturday 4th April https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1978775826765?aff=oddtdtcreator Easter Monday 6th April https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1979663039442?aff=oddtdtcreator Bank Holiday Monday 4th May https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1979663129712?aff=oddtdtcreator Kind Regards Jonathan