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May 5th, 2017
Mannings Heath GC
Gets vined up – its wine and golf time!
Words: John Dean
Planting has begun at Mannings Heath Golf Club, which is turning 9 holes of its Kingfisher course into a vineyard.
The 100-year-old golf course was bought last year by Penny Streeter OBE to create a place ‘very accessible to the public for wine, food and golf’, so what’s not to like about that!
The Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes will be ready to make sparkling wine in 2020 with the first bottles available in 2023, so we have a bit of a wait on our hands, but we will live with that.
Mannings Heath Golf Course and Wine Estate is a division of The Benguela Collection, a wine producer and hospitality group that Penny Streeter started, with the acquisition in 2013 of the Benguela Cove vineyard in South Africa.
The wines produced are currently showcased at Mannings Heath, which features a new restaurant, and wine tasting bar, hosting wine–themed events, including food pairings with chocolate and cheese, open to the public all year round.
Penny Streeter said: “We are recreating a South African–style wine tourism experience, where people can enjoy a day out in a beautiful parkland estate, with fine wines, good food and events programme.”
As well as shortening the Kingfisher golf course, there have been plenty of changes to the golfing side at Mannings Heath, with some holes redesigned, an upgrade of practice facilities and the building of a new pro shop.
Much as we hate to see a golf course close, there are some circumstances we can stomach, and this has to be one of them.
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