Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - November 2024

GODSTONE • November 15, 2024

14th November 2024


I have moved on from the disappointment of this year’s crop failure and begun our preparations for next season - winter pruning commenced this week on our Bacchus, which is very early but we have a lot to do !


A busy winter lies ahead with new hedges to be planted, vines to be pruned, and wirework which needs repairing.


It was wonderful seeing so many of you at our open days throughout the Summer and Autumn, your support means so much to me. With that in mind I am pleased to announce that, if you wish to enjoy our wines over the forthcoming festive season then we will be open for two days during early December.


Wednesday 4th December   10am-4pm

Saturday 7th December    10am-4pm


On both days we will be offering our Charcuterie & Cheese Platters.


An invitation to attend will be sent out very soon via email.



Kind Regards

Jonathan

Saturday the 26th of October 2024

Join Us For Our Autumn Celebration

Our boutique vineyard will be open for wine sales, walks around the vineyard, carefully curated platters, and hot food options.

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - September 2025

By GODSTONE • September 4, 2025
The four months of the year which end in ‘ber’ are now upon us which means that Michaelmas Day (September 29th) is only three weeks away. Folklore claimed that if a north wind blew on Michaelmas Day the month of October would be sunny and fine although make the most of it because fine weather on Saint Denis’s Day (October 9th) indicates a hard winter ahead! The sayings below are my personal favourites : “Dew in the night, next day will be bright” “Grey mists at dawn, the day will be warm” “Rain before seven, fine before eleven” “Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight, red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning” In an age where for most of us the first port of call for a weather forecast is an app on our mobiles, these sayings often stand the test of time! At the time of writing we do not have a definite harvest date and we continue to monitor levels of sugar and acidity every other day in the hope of arriving at the perfect day for picking! Last year the starlings treated our grapes as an open buffet so we are praying that we can avoid a repeat. We are now open every Saturday between midday and 4pm and, as always, would love to see you. Kind Regards Jonathan

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - August 2025

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