Jonathan's Vineyard Blog May 2023

GODSTONE • May 25, 2023

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog 

25th May 2023


Our first volunteering day of the new season was held on Tuesday 16th May and we were blessed with fine weather after what has been a rather cold and wet Spring.


A dozen of us spent the morning engaged in bud rubbing, which is a vital task and basically involves removing all the unwanted new growth from the vine trunk. It is a job which has been made far easier thanks to a hand held contraption that looks like the combination of long handled toothbrush cum hairbrush. Anyway, it does a great job.


We all then enjoyed a lovely lunch together on our sun drenched terrace - local cheeses complimented by a glass or two of our sparkling wine.


We are immensely grateful to those of you who help out on these volunteering days and there are a few more lined up over the course of Summer/Autumn if you wish to get involved in something rather different!


The weather has finally turned warm and sunny this week and so, after a slow start, the vines are finally begin to motor through their growth stages.


Our Sparkling Rose from the 2021 harvest is being released during the second week of June. I have had several advanced tastings and it is sublime.


Kind Regards


Jonathan

jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com

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
By GODSTONE May 15, 2026
May 15th The changeable weather has been the main talking point this Spring in the vineyard. Plus cest la meme chose! March was a mild and changeable month with periods of settled weather interspersed with periods of indifferent weather, the provisional mean temperature was 1.3 degrees Celsius above average; April, on the other hand, was dominated by a static anticyclone which blocked North Atlantic low pressure systems, resulting in a very dry, settled, and sunny month. April was a false dawn. May has been an extraordinary month with a distinctly chilly feel especially at night - many vineyards across England are reporting significant frost damage to the young buds which will, inevitably, result in yield reduction. Godstone is planted on slopes below the North Downs which allow cold air to drain away, flowing downhill and collecting in lower spots out of harms way so, fingers crossed, we appear to have escaped the worst of the cold nights. If you wish to read more about the science and reasoning behind vineyards planted on a slope or flat ground I highly recommend this article: https://grape-to-glass.com/index.php/flat-slope-vineyards/ We always love to see you and are now open every Saturday until mid September - plentiful free parking, stroll the vineyard, relax over a glass of wine with a sharing platter of carefully curated local cheeses and charcuterie, booking is recommended and greatly assists with our planning. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1987770961455?aff=oddtdtcreator Regards, Jonathan & Robert