Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog April 11th

April 11, 2022

The past month has been a very busy one in the vineyard.


Firstly, we have now finished our pruning and commenced the tying down of fruiting canes.

We have a fairly late site at Godstone which, on balance, is a good thing since the bud burst is delayed and we will hopefully avoid the worst effects of any frosts; on the other hand we end up with harvests which run into the autumn, which can be problematic. Generally speaking I am delighted with the way our vines are looking after their pruning.


Secondly, we have been preparing the soil for new planting of vines - the photo image shows how the empty row looks after the ground has been rotovated and prior to planting. It is, like almost everything in the vineyard, a process which requires long term planning. This month we will be planting more Bacchus and Seyval Blanc vines, however I have been preparing the soil into which they will be planted for the past three years - ensuring that there are no perennial weeds, making sure that the soil is healthy, and rotovating it every Spring to improve the soil structure. It is now ready for planting although we are at the mercy of the importers and currently our vines are stuck in a logistical nightmare somewhere in Germany.

As the eternal optimist I believe that everything will come right in the end, failing which I shall have to resort to drinking more Sparkling Wine !


We always love to see you at the vineyard and just to let you know that our Sparkling Wine from the 2020 harvest will be released in early June.


Kind Regards


Jonathan

jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog -November 2025

By GODSTONE • November 5, 2025
We have arrived at the end of another year in the vineyard and I am delighted to say that the vines have excelled themselves in what was, admittedly, a very good year to be cultivating grapes in England. The disappointment of no harvest in 2024 was a distant memory on Sunday 5th October when, under cloudless blue skies, we picked top quality grapes which will be made into a Sparkling Wine for release in 2028; the grapes had an almost perfect balance of acidity and natural sugar, excellent quality with barely any disease. I would venture to say that 2025 will match 2022, which was the last great vintage in England, time will tell ! I would like to thank those of you who helped with the harvest and also for your efforts throughout the Spring and Summer, it is greatly appreciated and we couldn’t do it without you ! As many of you know by now, our vineyard is planted predominantly with a variety called Seyval Blanc, which - in our opinion - is ideally suited to English conditions. Undoubtedly the doyen of Seyval Blanc was Peter Hall, of Breaky Bottom vineyard near Lewes, and it is with great sadness that we learnt of his passing last month. My brother and I were fortunate to have a private audience with him in 2024 in which he imparted some valuable tricks of his trade ! His obituary (below) gives you a feel for this incredible vigneron who will be much missed. English wine has lost a great character. https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/tribute-peter-hall-1943-2025 Rest In Peace, Peter Hall, 1943-2025 Kind Regards Jonathan

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - September 2025

By GODSTONE • September 4, 2025
The four months of the year which end in ‘ber’ are now upon us which means that Michaelmas Day (September 29th) is only three weeks away. Folklore claimed that if a north wind blew on Michaelmas Day the month of October would be sunny and fine although make the most of it because fine weather on Saint Denis’s Day (October 9th) indicates a hard winter ahead! The sayings below are my personal favourites : “Dew in the night, next day will be bright” “Grey mists at dawn, the day will be warm” “Rain before seven, fine before eleven” “Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight, red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning” In an age where for most of us the first port of call for a weather forecast is an app on our mobiles, these sayings often stand the test of time! At the time of writing we do not have a definite harvest date and we continue to monitor levels of sugar and acidity every other day in the hope of arriving at the perfect day for picking! Last year the starlings treated our grapes as an open buffet so we are praying that we can avoid a repeat. We are now open every Saturday between midday and 4pm and, as always, would love to see you. Kind Regards Jonathan