Jonathan's Vineyard Blog July 2023

GODSTONE • July 4, 2023

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

4th July 2023


We have received some very good news since my last blog was published in May - our Sparkling Wine 2020 was awarded a gold medal at the IEWA Awards; only ten golds were awarded and there are nearly 1000 vineyards in the UK so we are incredibly proud of this achievement.


I consider it to be a starting point rather than an end game in our pursuit of excellence - everything we do in the vineyard at Godstone is tailored towards the goal of consistently producing top quality wines. I have long held the view that our soil type and topography are near perfect for growing grapes in England and this award feels like a vindication.


“Fantastic aromatics on the nose and great complexity. The mouthfeel and acidity is outstanding. An exciting sparkling wine that really opens up in the glass. Beautiful nose, with such good evolution. Really well balanced wine with depth on the mid-palate and a creamy, round finish. Really enjoyable !” - IEWA 2023 Tasting Note.


In other news we are now Summer pruning our vines : tucking in shoots, especially on a vigorous variety such as Bacchus; leaf stripping on one side of each row in order to improve ventilation and access to the sun.


Our alfresco garden area is looking particularly lovely this year so if you fancy popping along to enjoy a glass of our award winning wines then we are always delighted to see you any weekend !




Kind Regards

Jonathan

jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com

Jonathan’s Vineyard Notes - 17th June 2026

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

Jonathan's Vineyard Blog - 15th May 2026

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