Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog 16th February 2022

Jonathan • February 17, 2022

We are blessed to have a vineyard which is situated within superb walking country, nestling as it does in a fold under the North Downs Way and within the Surrey Hills AONB.



A considerable number of our visitors pop in at the weekends for a ‘refresher’ (glass of Sparkling Wine !) and a pleasant break whilst on their walk. We are always delighted to welcome walkers. The North Downs Way has, in recent years, become an inspirational walk whereby one is following the actual footsteps of our forefathers who walked the Pilgrim’s Way - the historical route purportedly taken by pilgrims from Winchester to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury, a prehistoric route which follows the natural causeway east to west on the southern slopes of the North Downs.


Another walk - shorter - which is proving extremely popular is the Woldingham Circular Walk, which begins and ends at Woldingham Station. This is an absolutely delightful way to spend a day and our vineyard is at roughly the halfway point - there are some shortcuts available and if you want any tips please feel free to contact me !  I walked a section in early February and my glass of Godstone Sparkling Wine which I imbibed prior to setting off most certainly put a spring in my step.


I attach a few links to these walks :

https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/north-downs-way/

https://britishpilgrimage.org/portfolio/pilgrims-way-to-canterbury/

https://www.surreyhills.org/discover-route/woldingham-walk/


In the meantime I need to crack on with the vine pruning, which is now well underway, finish planting more hedges, and a myriad of other vital Winter jobs !

I wish you all a most enjoyable month.


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