Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - November

Jonathan • November 4, 2021

In this month’s blog it gives me great pleasure to report on our recent grape harvest, which took place under cloudless blue skies on Sunday 17th October.

We are extremely grateful to the twenty five friends and family who so willingly helped us to bring in the harvest; we picked from early morning until mid afternoon and then sat down together to enjoy a convivial lunch comprising our own homemade quiches, farm raised turkey, and all accompanied by our still and sparkling wines. It was a truly wonderful climax to a year which, due to weather and Covid, has been a very challenging one for ours and many businesses up and down the land.


We were very pleasantly surprised by the yield of grapes, which has resulted in a record for Godstone Vineyards. At some points during the growing season I had been genuinely concerned that we might not harvest anything at all - the Spring was cold and late, the Summer predominantly wet. The sugar level of our grapes was slightly lower than average, however this means that we will hopefully end up with a crisp, dry sparkling wine when it is released in 2023.

Looking to Winter.

Another year in the wine cycle draws to a close and yet we are already embarking upon the next one: post and wirework need to be repaired / replaced ; hedges and windbreaks need to be maintained ; winter pruning will commence in December. It quite literally never stops!


Our shop remains open every weekend throughout the Winter and we are always delighted to welcome you. 

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - May 2025

By GODSTONE • May 29, 2025
27th May 2025 My interest in weather forecasts borders on obsessiveness, and 2025 has thus far been fascinating. The ten year average rainfall at Godstone for the period 1st January - 31st May inclusive is 200mm; this year the accumulated total is 90mm. It has been a very dry Spring as can be seen by the deep, wide cracks in the soil throughout the vineyard. Spring 2025 has also been the sunniest since records began 115 years ago. The warm dry weather has continued throughout May due to a persistent area of high pressure known as a “blocking high” reinforced by an amplified jet stream which has trapped high pressure in place and led to the prolonged dry spells. On balance, unlike farmers who are trying to grow cereals and/or grass, a vineyard benefits from a Spring such as 2025. An established vine is able to withstand drought far better than most crops thanks to their deep root systems which allow them to access moisture that is not easily available to shallow-rooted plants. A newly planted vine would need watering in a Spring such as 2025 but most of our vines are almost 40 years old and have no moisture issues. We would love to see you in June and will be open on two Saturdays: BOOK A VISIT TO OUR VINEYARD FOR SAT 7th JUNE https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1343877988239?aff=oddtdtcreator BOOK A VISIT TO OUR VINEYARD FOR SAT 21st JUNE https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1250419581629?aff=oddtdtcreator Kind Regards Jonathan

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - April 2025

By GODSTONE • April 4, 2025
April is a wonderful month when nature bursts into life after the dormancy of winter; one of my personal highlights is the sight and aroma of wild garlic in the woodlands on the approach to our vineyard. This bulbous perennial, with its distinctive and pungent garlicky smell, is common and widespread across the UK, most widely in deciduous woodland and on chalky soils. Wild Garlic is not to be confused with ‘Lily of the Valley’, especially since the latter is poisonous. Wild Garlic is an ancient woodland-indicator plant and its presence is a sign that you are in a rare and special habitat; it flowers early in Spring and is therefore an important early bloom for the bees and other insects which pollinate them. The bulbs are also a source of food for wild boars, not that I have ever encountered one in East Surrey! Wild Garlic was traditionally used in medicine - its bulb being a key ingredient in tonics for rheumatic problems and high cholesterol. It is nowadays a popular foraged ingredient (my brother makes an excellent wild garlic pesto!) - its leaves can be eaten raw in salads, blanched and used in place of spinach, or made into an interesting soup. April and May are the perfect months to view Wild Garlic and we will be open on one Saturday each month; you can also undertake our ‘Champagne Challenge’ where we see if you can taste the difference between Champagne and a glass of Godstone’s finest ! We’d love to see you. Book for Saturday 12th April https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/springtime-means-wine-time-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1128653175029?aff=oddtdtcreator Book for Saturday 17th May https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-summer-of-wine-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1250415659899?aff=oddtdtcreator Kind Regards to you all Jonathan