Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog August 2023

GODSTONE • August 1, 2023

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

1st August 2023


July has been an extremely busy month in the vineyard majoring upon the trimming and leaf stripping, especially in our Bacchus vines.

The trimming is done by a local contractor who uses a tractor-mounted machine which trims the sides and tops of the vine rows; reducing the vegetation above the top wire is particularly important otherwise the vines from one row would overshadow the next row and prevent sunlight penetrating the fruiting area.


Leaf stripping has been done by hand (thank you to those of you who have so kindly volunteered your help) and seems counterintuitive ! After all, why would you want to remove the ‘factory’ of the vine ? In the case of a vine the leaf takes one month before it provides help to the fruit (meanwhile using the plant’s energy) after which it only produces energy for three months and, therefore, by the end of July all that a leaf is doing is creating shade and humidity on the fruit.


Leaf removal promotes aeration on the fruit and increases exposure to the sun, which in turn aids ripening. In July we leaf stripped the east side of our rows in the hope that any morning sun will dry the overnight dew off the fruit; in mid August we will leaf strip the west side. The image at the top of the article shows a row of Bacchus after leaf stripping and trimming - note the promising bunches !


I hope that you are enjoying the Summer - it’s been a mixed bag in terms of the weather and we could do with a month of decent sunshine to help the grapes.


We have recently introduced a Charcuterie Platter to our menu which features gorgeous cold cuts from Owley Farm in Tenterden, Kent. Why not pop along and try it with a glass of our award winning wine, we are always delighted to see you.


Kind Regards  ,  Jonathan & Family

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