Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog September 2023

GODSTONE • September 12, 2023

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

12th September 2023




September is the month which gives me the most sleepless nights in the year ! I check the Met Office app every few hours hoping to see a long term forecast consisting solely of warm, cloudless blue skies, and no rain. I am writing this blog on the back of an unseasonably hot period which has been an absolute blessing for our ripening grapes.


I have been growing grapes in England for almost forty years and have no intention of making harvest predictions which I will then regret but suffice to say, if the weather gods are kind between now and mid October then we have the basis of a decent crop.


The very wet weather which we experienced during July and August has allowed some botrytis (grey mould) to develop - especially in our Bacchus - so at this stage the only thing that can arrest the disease is fine weather. Our Seyval Blanc - which are effectively disease resistant - prove, once again, why they are so well suited to cool climate wine areas such as England.


In my next blog you will read about our harvest but, in the meantime, please pray for a sustained period of decent weather on our behalf !


We have recently introduced a Charcuterie Platter to our menu which features gorgeous cold cuts from Owley Farm in Tenterden, Kent. Why not pop along and try it with a glass of our award winning wine, we are always delighted to see you. We are extremely busy at weekends so I strongly recommend that you book a great place on our terrace and/or garden area via https://www.godstonevineyards.com/contact


Kind Regards  ,  Jonathan & Family

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