Jonathan’s Vineyard Blog - October

Jonathan • October 4, 2021

In the vineyard year there are two months which consistently give me sleepless nights:

May, due to the threat of a late frost, and October, due to the prospect of wet weather and bird damage.



An English autumn is to be treasured for many reasons, whether it be the turning colours of leaves, the heavy dews of mornings, or the mellowness of late afternoons. However it poses several challenges for a vineyard : firstly, a wet period of weather between September and mid October will significantly increase the risk of botrytis (grey mould, bunch rot), a fungal disease which in the worst case scenario renders entire bunches of grapes unsuitable to wine making ; secondly, bird damage - it’s an open secret that our winged friends enjoy nothing more than the taste of sweet ripening grapes, and at Godstone we lose a significant percentage of our harvest every year to the resident population of pheasants, who quite literally walk up and down the rows of vines and eat the grapes which hang from low branches !

Positive hope.

In my next blog I will report upon this year’s harvest and I hope and pray that the conclusion of what has been a challenging year for businesses up and down the length and breadth of Britain will be a positive one for our vineyard.

In the meantime thank you for continuing to support your local vineyard, we are open every weekend and we always love seeing you.

January 27, 2025
The month of January often seems a long one to endure post Christmas, with its cold, short days ; however it is always a very busy month in our vineyard, and with pruning and tree management to undertake this one has been no exception. Our vines are grown on a system called “Double Guyot”, learn more about how they are winter pruned here . Godstone Vineyard is surrounded on three sides by extensive areas of woodland, and, like everything else in the countryside, this requires annual management. We are very proud of our tree planting endeavours, which have taken place every winter for the past three decades. However, the countryside finds itself confronted by the horrors of “Ash Dieback” — an airborne disease which is wreaking havoc across the British Isles. To learn more about Ash Dieback, how it spreads, and control efforts, please click here . We have embarked upon upgrading our wirework in the vineyard, much of which is nearly 40 years old — the cost of steel wire is a shock ! We always love to see you at Godstone Vineyard and if you would like to join us for a glass or two of wine and perhaps a charcuterie and cheese platter we are open on Saturday 8th February , and thereafter monthly. Kind Regards Jonathan
By GODSTONE December 16, 2024
As the year draws to a close it’s time to reflect on the past year: the weather has dominated proceedings - a year characterised by incessant rainfall at the wrong time of the growing season which, coupled with severe bird damage on ripening grapes, resulted in no harvest at Godstone in 2024. This was incredibly disappointing. We have significant stocks of wines - bottled and unbottled - from previous harvests which will ensure continuity of supply in the short to medium term, however, a harvest in 2025 will be critically important if we are to avoid supply side disruption in the future. Fingers crossed for a far better year ahead. We will be opening our shop and café once a month throughout 2025. Our next date is Saturday 18th January and if you would like to attend then please reserve a place using the link below: 
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