Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog March 2024

GODSTONE • March 28, 2024

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

26th March 2024


Winter has been incredibly wet and outdoor work in the vineyard has been anything but fun - however these are a few of the jobs which have been keeping us busy over the past few months:


Pruning our vines - the single most important task undertaken in the vineyard and one which will have the greatest influence on potential yields and quality;


Pruning our windbreaks - we have to undertake routine maintenance every few years to ensure that they don’t get too tall or wide - it is a difficult task which requires the expertise of a local contractor;


Planting new hedges and trees - we do this every winter and the results are beginning to speak for themselves.


Our shop and cafe will remain closed throughout 2024 whilst we deal with a myriad of issues following the devastating loss of our mother last November.


If you would like to visit us this year then your chance to do so is via our volunteering days - our two early season ones will be held on:

Tuesday 7th May
Monday 3rd June
 

Approximately 6 hours of gentle work within the vineyard followed by lunch and free flowing Godstone wine - if you would like to join the fun please let me know asap !


Jonathan & Robert

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
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