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 Blog -November 2025

By 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 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