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 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