Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog -November 2025

GODSTONE • November 5, 2025

We have arrived at the end of another year in the vineyard and I am
delighted to say that the vines have excelled themselves in what was,
admittedly, a very good year to be cultivating grapes in England.

The disappointment of no harvest in 2024 was a distant memory on Sunday 5th
October when, under cloudless blue skies, we picked top quality grapes
which will be made into a Sparkling Wine for release in 2028; the grapes
had an almost perfect balance of acidity and natural sugar, excellent
quality with barely any disease. I would venture to say that 2025 will
match 2022, which was the last great vintage in England, time will tell !

I would like to thank those of you who helped with the harvest and also for
your efforts throughout the Spring and Summer, it is greatly appreciated
and we couldn’t do it without you !

As many of you know by now, our vineyard is planted predominantly with a
variety called Seyval Blanc, which - in our opinion - is ideally suited to
English conditions. Undoubtedly the doyen of Seyval Blanc was Peter Hall,
of Breaky Bottom vineyard near Lewes, and it is with great sadness that we
learnt of his passing last month. My brother and I were fortunate to have a
private audience with him in 2024 in which he imparted some valuable tricks
of his trade ! His obituary (below) gives you a feel for this incredible
vigneron who will be much missed. English wine has lost a great character.

https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/tribute-peter-hall-1943-2025

Rest In Peace, Peter Hall, 1943-2025

Kind Regards

Jonathan

Jonathan’s Vineyard Notes - 11th August 2026

By GODSTONE • August 11, 2026
11th August 2026 We have been extremely busy in the vineyard, however let's talk about the weather! It's been a remarkably hot, dry Summer in Southern England, you don't need me to point that out, and we are one of the only agricultural sectors who are not suffering as a result of the relentless sunshine combined with lack of rainfall. Vines do not need Summer rainfall, in fact, dry weather is ideal because heavy rain or high humidity close to harvest causes the berries to swell and split, dilutes sugar levels, and triggers fungal diseases such as mildew. Dry Summers generally produce much higher-quality grapes. A grapevine typically requires roughly 10-35 inches of water annually to support their growth cycle, and they prefer to absorb this moisture through winter and spring rainfall stored deep within the soil. Grapevines are deep-rooting plants; whilst the majority of their roots (about 60-80%) live in the top 2-3 feet of soil, their anchor and tap roots can push down to 15-20 feet or more. At the time of writing we do not have a definitive harvest date but needless to say it will be a few weeks earlier than normal. We remain open every Saturday between now and the end of September and always love seeing you. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-in-the-vines-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1 987770961455?aff=oddtdtcreator Regards, Jonathan & Robert

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