The past month has been a very busy one in the vineyard.
Firstly, we have now finished our pruning and commenced the tying down of fruiting canes.
We have a fairly late site at Godstone which, on balance, is a good thing since the bud burst is delayed and we will hopefully avoid the worst effects of any frosts; on the other hand we end up with harvests which run into the autumn, which can be problematic. Generally speaking I am delighted with the way our vines are looking after their pruning.
Secondly, we have been preparing the soil for new planting of vines - the photo image shows how the empty row looks after the ground has been rotovated and prior to planting. It is, like almost everything in the vineyard, a process which requires long term planning. This month we will be planting more Bacchus and Seyval Blanc vines, however I have been preparing the soil into which they will be planted for the past three years - ensuring that there are no perennial weeds, making sure that the soil is healthy, and rotovating it every Spring to improve the soil structure. It is now ready for planting although we are at the mercy of the importers and currently our vines are stuck in a logistical nightmare somewhere in Germany.
As the eternal optimist I believe that everything will come right in the end, failing which I shall have to resort to drinking more Sparkling Wine !
We always love to see you at the vineyard and just to let you know that our Sparkling Wine from the 2020 harvest will be released in early June.
Kind Regards
Jonathan
jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com
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