Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog June 20th

June 20, 2022

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

 20th June 2022


I am delighted to announce the release of our Sparkling Wine from the 2020 harvest !


The Summer of 2020 seems aeons ago now - yes, it was the first Summer of Covid  and most of us were drinking solo or with immediate family !


The weather in Summer 2020 was a very mixed bag (i.e. typical for Britain); warmer, wetter and duller than average with June, July and August all seeing the occasional hot spell (for example, Heathrow Airport recorded 38 degrees C. on 31st July, making it the third hottest day ever recorded in the UK ).


The Seyval Blanc grapes which have been used in this 2020 Sparkling Wine were picked on Sunday 11th October - some of you helped with the picking - and at the time I was pleasantly surprised by the potential alcohol. I am delighted that almost two years later we have a wine which has reached 12.5% alcohol volume.


What can you expect from our 2020 Sparkling Wine ?  I have now sampled a few bottles (rude not to) and on the nose there is an aroma of toasted caramel brioche with hints of apple, pear, apricot, and candied almonds. The taste is exquisite and offers a clean, crisp and refreshing acidity with a candied brioche finish. This is England in a glass !


Therefore I am delighted to inform you that this Sparkling Wine from 2020 is now available from our shop at the vineyard. We have, like so many other businesses, found ourselves on the wrong end of inflation, however I have resisted all temptations to follow suit and am delighted to say that we have held our prices at £24.50 a bottle or £138 a case of six (equivalent to £23 a bottle).


We are a boutique producer with limited vintages - every bottle of our wine is made solely from grapes grown at our vineyard - and with this in mind we anticipate a very strong demand. If you wish to place a reservation - and the fact that you are on this mailing list automatically means that you are first to know - do not hesitate to drop me a line via my personal email.


I wish you all a most enjoyable Summer. Our vineyard and shop is open every weekend between 10.30am-4.30pm.


Kind Regards


Jonathan

jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com

Jonathan’s Vineyard Notes - 11th August 2026

By GODSTONE • August 11, 2026
11th August 2026 We have been extremely busy in the vineyard, however let's talk about the weather! It's been a remarkably hot, dry Summer in Southern England, you don't need me to point that out, and we are one of the only agricultural sectors who are not suffering as a result of the relentless sunshine combined with lack of rainfall. Vines do not need Summer rainfall, in fact, dry weather is ideal because heavy rain or high humidity close to harvest causes the berries to swell and split, dilutes sugar levels, and triggers fungal diseases such as mildew. Dry Summers generally produce much higher-quality grapes. A grapevine typically requires roughly 10-35 inches of water annually to support their growth cycle, and they prefer to absorb this moisture through winter and spring rainfall stored deep within the soil. Grapevines are deep-rooting plants; whilst the majority of their roots (about 60-80%) live in the top 2-3 feet of soil, their anchor and tap roots can push down to 15-20 feet or more. At the time of writing we do not have a definitive harvest date but needless to say it will be a few weeks earlier than normal. We remain open every Saturday between now and the end of September and always love seeing you. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-in-the-vines-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1 987770961455?aff=oddtdtcreator Regards, Jonathan & Robert

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