Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - August 2025

GODSTONE • August 4, 2025

The weather has turned unsettled since I wrote to you in July and, after
four very dry months, we have returned to a more typical mixture of
sunshine and showers. At this stage in their development our grapes would
prefer settled weather and certainly more sunshine than rainfall. Fingers
crossed we are on course for a decent harvest however there are still a few
months to go until picking !

We will soon commence Brix testing of the grapes in order to attempt a
prediction of the likely harvest date - at present I would say that mid
October is looking realistic for our Seyval Blanc.

If you wish to know everything there is to know about Brix testing then
click on this link !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brix

I have some good news about our opening days for the vineyard - we intend
to open most Saturdays from September onwards; I will confirm this once
everything is set in stone. It’s been a long time coming and we are keen to
find a “new normal” for Godstone Vineyards.

In the meantime we are open over the August Bank Holiday (except Monday)
and if you would like to join us please register your interest - free of
charge - via the links below:

Saturday 23rd August

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1250420835379?aff=oddtdtcreator

Sunday 24th August

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1521889585719?aff=oddtdtcreator

Kind Regards

Jonathan

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