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 - 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