Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - August

Jonathan • August 18, 2021

Not spectacular, but not a washout.

I, like so many others in English wine, am obsessed with the weather! The reason is fairly obvious - our grape crop is dependent upon it. However it often surprises me that I regularly misjudge the previous month in terms of sunshine and rainfall. For example, I could have sworn that it never stopped raining and that the sun never appeared last month. At times likes these I revert to the Met Office website and it very often throws up a pleasant surprise : July 2021 had a mean temperature which was 1.5 degrees Celcius above the 1981-2020 long term average (which is great news for grapes); unfortunately it was above average for rainfall (not great news for grapes), and it was below average for sunshine. In conclusion, so far the Summer of 2021 has not been spectacular for vines but neither has it been the washout many of us imagine it to have been.

A steady return to normal.

Where does all this place us in terms of the 2021 grape crop? First of all, the Spring was cold and dry, so our vines were very slow in coming back to life after dormancy; the Summer - so far - has been a mixed bag. In summary, I would anticipate a crop which is below average in yield. The silver lining is that a smaller crop will quite often be excellent quality, although much depends upon the weather over the period from mid August to mid October. Basically, for the next two months we require lots of sunshine and no rainfall. Of course this is not going to happen but there is no harm in being hopeful!

In common with so many other businesses we continue to deal with the many challenges posed by Covid, on so many different levels. The past few months have begun to feel a bit more like ‘normal’ and what has been so heart-warming is the response from visitors, first timers and/or regulars, who come along to enjoy our wine and food. Our aim is to create a warm and friendly “happy space” for everyone who visits our vineyard. We love seeing you.

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