Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog November 2023

GODSTONE • November 23, 2023

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

23rd November 2023


It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that our mother, June Deeley, passed away peacefully at home on 8th November, after a mercifully short battle against  cancer.


I am sure many of our regular visitors will have become familiar over the years with seeing my mother at her vineyard; it was her “happy place” and it provided her with the serenity and peacefulness which she deserved and craved.


Our mother was involved with the vineyard since its inception back in the mid 1980’s and took great pride in running the shop as though it were an extension of her home - ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ would be a very suitable epitaph to her dedication in ensuring that everything was always orderly and well run.


Our mother left the cultural aspects of the vineyard to our team of contractors - although once a month she would do a ‘grand tour’ of the vines to ensure that everything was ‘spick and span’, and woe betide if the hedges and verges were not kept neat and tidy !


Our mother’s mantra was always ‘KBO’ (keep buggering on) whatever the situation in which she found herself - she had lived through evacuation during WW2 and the ensuing food rationing, which clearly left an indelible mark and made her the amazing person we will always remember.


It was fitting - and gave her immense pride - that her final year saw Godstone win a gold medal for our sparkling wine plus a record harvest in October.


Our mother will be sorely missed in so many ways - “To live in hearts we leave behind, is not to die”.


(If you would like details of our mother’s funeral, which will take place in early December, please contact me via email and I will provide you with the details.

By GODSTONE August 4, 2025
The weather has turned unsettled since I wrote to you in July and, after four very dry months, we have returned to a more typical mixture of sunshine and showers. At this stage in their development our grapes would prefer settled weather and certainly more sunshine than rainfall. Fingers crossed we are on course for a decent harvest however there are still a few months to go until picking ! We will soon commence Brix testing of the grapes in order to attempt a prediction of the likely harvest date - at present I would say that mid October is looking realistic for our Seyval Blanc. If you wish to know everything there is to know about Brix testing then click on this link ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brix I have some good news about our opening days for the vineyard - we intend to open most Saturdays from September onwards; I will confirm this once everything is set in stone. It’s been a long time coming and we are keen to find a “new normal” for Godstone Vineyards. In the meantime we are open over the August Bank Holiday (except Monday) and if you would like to join us please register your interest - free of charge - via the links below: Saturday 23rd August https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1250420835379?aff=oddtdtcreator Sunday 24th August https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1521889585719?aff=oddtdtcreator Kind Regards Jonathan
By GODSTONE July 1, 2025
A consequence of warm, dry Summers (such as 2025) is the prevalence in English vineyards of a disease called ‘powdery mildew’; unchecked it can devastate the entire grape crop and so vigilance is required in order to prevent it taking hold. It thrives in humid weather and especially where airflow between the vines is limited. Powdery mildew infection appears as a white, powdery coating on leaves, stems, and fruit. If left untreated it can stunt growth, reduce fruit quality, and even affect the flavour of the wine. Of the two varieties which we grow at Godstone the most at risk from mildew is Bacchus due to its dense canopy of foliage. Our other variety, Seyval Blanc, is fairly resistant to mildew. The best thing to do in order to prevent mildew from taking hold is an enhanced programme of canopy management, especially leaf stripping - which significantly improves air flow around the grapes, combined with reducing the amount of foliage. We rely upon a loyal group of friends who kindly offer their services voluntarily on several days throughout the Summer in order to help us with our canopy management and we are eternally grateful for their help. Our vineyard will be open on three Saturdays during July and, if you would like to visit, please kindly reserve your spaces using the links below: SATURDAY 12th JULY https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-summer-of-wine-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1250420093159?aff=oddtdtcreator SATURDAY 19th JULY https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-summer-of-wine-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1358395691079?aff=oddtdtcreator SATURDAY 26th JULY https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-summer-of-wine-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1436108622549?aff=oddtdtcreator We hope to see you during July! Kind Regards Jonathan