Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog 16th February 2022

Jonathan • February 17, 2022

We are blessed to have a vineyard which is situated within superb walking country, nestling as it does in a fold under the North Downs Way and within the Surrey Hills AONB.



A considerable number of our visitors pop in at the weekends for a ‘refresher’ (glass of Sparkling Wine !) and a pleasant break whilst on their walk. We are always delighted to welcome walkers. The North Downs Way has, in recent years, become an inspirational walk whereby one is following the actual footsteps of our forefathers who walked the Pilgrim’s Way - the historical route purportedly taken by pilgrims from Winchester to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury, a prehistoric route which follows the natural causeway east to west on the southern slopes of the North Downs.


Another walk - shorter - which is proving extremely popular is the Woldingham Circular Walk, which begins and ends at Woldingham Station. This is an absolutely delightful way to spend a day and our vineyard is at roughly the halfway point - there are some shortcuts available and if you want any tips please feel free to contact me !  I walked a section in early February and my glass of Godstone Sparkling Wine which I imbibed prior to setting off most certainly put a spring in my step.


I attach a few links to these walks :

https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/north-downs-way/

https://britishpilgrimage.org/portfolio/pilgrims-way-to-canterbury/

https://www.surreyhills.org/discover-route/woldingham-walk/


In the meantime I need to crack on with the vine pruning, which is now well underway, finish planting more hedges, and a myriad of other vital Winter jobs !

I wish you all a most enjoyable month.


Kind Regards


Jonathan

jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - April 2025

By GODSTONE • April 4, 2025
April is a wonderful month when nature bursts into life after the dormancy of winter; one of my personal highlights is the sight and aroma of wild garlic in the woodlands on the approach to our vineyard. This bulbous perennial, with its distinctive and pungent garlicky smell, is common and widespread across the UK, most widely in deciduous woodland and on chalky soils. Wild Garlic is not to be confused with ‘Lily of the Valley’, especially since the latter is poisonous. Wild Garlic is an ancient woodland-indicator plant and its presence is a sign that you are in a rare and special habitat; it flowers early in Spring and is therefore an important early bloom for the bees and other insects which pollinate them. The bulbs are also a source of food for wild boars, not that I have ever encountered one in East Surrey! Wild Garlic was traditionally used in medicine - its bulb being a key ingredient in tonics for rheumatic problems and high cholesterol. It is nowadays a popular foraged ingredient (my brother makes an excellent wild garlic pesto!) - its leaves can be eaten raw in salads, blanched and used in place of spinach, or made into an interesting soup. April and May are the perfect months to view Wild Garlic and we will be open on one Saturday each month; you can also undertake our ‘Champagne Challenge’ where we see if you can taste the difference between Champagne and a glass of Godstone’s finest ! We’d love to see you. Book for Saturday 12th April https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/springtime-means-wine-time-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1128653175029?aff=oddtdtcreator Book for Saturday 17th May https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-summer-of-wine-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1250415659899?aff=oddtdtcreator Kind Regards to you all Jonathan

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - February 2025

By GODSTONE • February 24, 2025
We have passed “Candlemas Day” - 2nd February - traditionally the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox. In bygone times “Candlemas” was the day of the year when all candles that were to be used in church during the coming year, were brought into church and a blessing was said over them; candles were very important, especially pre-industrial revolution, and some people believed that they gave protection against plague, illness, and famine. However, in reality, candles were important because there were no electric lights ! Snowdrops appear in February. According to legend, the snowdrop became a symbol of hope when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. When Eve was about to give up hope that the cold winters would never end, an angel appeared. She transformed some of the snowflakes into snowdrop flowers, proving that the winters do eventually give way to the spring. We have now settled upon opening one Saturday per month throughout the year, and, these are the dates from March until August should you wish to plan ahead: https://www.godstonevineyards.com/contact If you would like to come and admire the snowdrops in our woodland then we would be delighted to see you on Saturday 15th March. We will be offering tastings and wine sales, alongside platters of local cheeses and charcuterie (perfect for sharing over a bottle of our wine). Please book for Saturday 15th March using the link below: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/springtime-means-wine-time-at-godstone-vineyards-tickets-1128641620469?aff=oddtdtcreator Kind Regards to you all Jonathan