Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog June 2024

June 18, 2024

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog June 2024

17th June 2024


In spite of the cool, wet Spring and early Summer – which is far from ideal for vines – we have some wonderful news to impart: firstly, our Sparkling Rose from the 2021 harvest has been awarded a silver medal by the IEWA; secondly, we will be holding an ‘Open Day’ on Saturday 10th August.


Our Sparkling Rose from the 2021 harvest is 95% Seyval Blanc, 4% Pinot Noir, and 1% Acolon. It has achieved an alcohol content of 11.5% with titratable acidity of 8.5 grams/litre, creating a perfect balance of crisp acidity which is a prerequisite of English Sparkling Wine. We have 900 bottles of this award-winning wine so as with all our wines it is a very limited edition.


Open Day – Saturday 10th August 10am-4pm


We are delighted to reopen - in a limited way - after a very challenging period dealing with the technicalities of probate – finally there is light at the end of the tunnel. Join us on Saturday 10th August for the launch of our award-winning sparkling and still wines – the opportunity to taste and buy our new release wines at farmgate prices.


Bring along friends and family, walk the vineyard, chat with the owners, relax in our garden or under our terrace, enjoy alfresco local meats and cheeses. Free entry – numbers limited and subject to availability – to avoid disappointment please register your interest as soon as possible by sending me an email to: jcdeeley@godstonevineyards.com


We hope to see you in August – meanwhile fingers crossed that we get some Summer weather !

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