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 - 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

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - February 2026

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