Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog March 2024

GODSTONE • March 28, 2024

Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog

26th March 2024


Winter has been incredibly wet and outdoor work in the vineyard has been anything but fun - however these are a few of the jobs which have been keeping us busy over the past few months:


Pruning our vines - the single most important task undertaken in the vineyard and one which will have the greatest influence on potential yields and quality;


Pruning our windbreaks - we have to undertake routine maintenance every few years to ensure that they don’t get too tall or wide - it is a difficult task which requires the expertise of a local contractor;


Planting new hedges and trees - we do this every winter and the results are beginning to speak for themselves.


Our shop and cafe will remain closed throughout 2024 whilst we deal with a myriad of issues following the devastating loss of our mother last November.


If you would like to visit us this year then your chance to do so is via our volunteering days - our two early season ones will be held on:

Tuesday 7th May
Monday 3rd June
 

Approximately 6 hours of gentle work within the vineyard followed by lunch and free flowing Godstone wine - if you would like to join the fun please let me know asap !


Jonathan & Robert

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