Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - August

Jonathan • August 18, 2021

Not spectacular, but not a washout.

I, like so many others in English wine, am obsessed with the weather! The reason is fairly obvious - our grape crop is dependent upon it. However it often surprises me that I regularly misjudge the previous month in terms of sunshine and rainfall. For example, I could have sworn that it never stopped raining and that the sun never appeared last month. At times likes these I revert to the Met Office website and it very often throws up a pleasant surprise : July 2021 had a mean temperature which was 1.5 degrees Celcius above the 1981-2020 long term average (which is great news for grapes); unfortunately it was above average for rainfall (not great news for grapes), and it was below average for sunshine. In conclusion, so far the Summer of 2021 has not been spectacular for vines but neither has it been the washout many of us imagine it to have been.

A steady return to normal.

Where does all this place us in terms of the 2021 grape crop? First of all, the Spring was cold and dry, so our vines were very slow in coming back to life after dormancy; the Summer - so far - has been a mixed bag. In summary, I would anticipate a crop which is below average in yield. The silver lining is that a smaller crop will quite often be excellent quality, although much depends upon the weather over the period from mid August to mid October. Basically, for the next two months we require lots of sunshine and no rainfall. Of course this is not going to happen but there is no harm in being hopeful!

In common with so many other businesses we continue to deal with the many challenges posed by Covid, on so many different levels. The past few months have begun to feel a bit more like ‘normal’ and what has been so heart-warming is the response from visitors, first timers and/or regulars, who come along to enjoy our wine and food. Our aim is to create a warm and friendly “happy space” for everyone who visits our vineyard. We love seeing you.

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

Jonathan's Vineyard Blog - 15th May 2026

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