Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - August 2024

August 19, 2024

We are approximately two months away from the grape harvest and it has been a very trying year in the vineyard: a wet, cold late Spring followed by a predominantly disappointing Summer meaning that our potential harvest will be low in yield..

Bacchus is a precocious variety at the best of times - in a perfect growing year it will produce wonderful grapes resulting in a stellar dry white wine; however as a variety it has struggled to cope with this year’s climatic conditions.

Seyval Blanc, on the other hand, is a reliable performer at Godstone and - once again - has come to the rescue to save the day. If we have warm sunny periods of weather between now and the end of October then I am confident we will pick sufficient grapes in order to make a high quality sparkling wine.

Our ‘Open Day’ held on 10th August was a tremendous success and many thanks to those of you who attended; it was our initial foray into reopening after what has been a very difficult and traumatic year following the passing away of my mother last November. I like to think that she would have been looking down on us with an approving smile.

We are open on Monday 2nd September between 10am-3pm for wine tastings, sales, and charcuterie / cheese platters - if you would like to visit us then please register your interest via this link to Eventbrite, if you haven’t already done so:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/godstone-vineyards-open-day-tickets-995080812497?aff=oddtdtcreator

The main project of the Summer - other than trying to grow grapes in a cold, wet climate - has been bringing a windbreak under control, in essence it had trebled in height from the original intention and created unwanted shade on the adjacent rows of vines. We used an excellent local tree surgeon and the result is most satisfactory.

Additionally we have had great success with a wildflower project - the residents of our onsite beehive have had a whale of a time ! The benefits to our ecosystem will be amazing and it’s one more component in our pathway to sustainable farming at Godstone Vineyards.

I wish you a most enjoyable end to the Summer and hope to see you soon.

Kind Regards
Jonathan

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