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 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