Another golf club opens up a vineyard

A Spanish golf club has become the latest in Europe to open up an on-site vineyard.

PGA Catalunya Resort is creating Celler Mas Hereu, which will eventually see the European Tour destination produce its own wine.

Earlier this year we reported on Mannings Heath Golf Club & Wine Estate in West Sussex, which has planted 38,000 vines on what was nine of the club’s 36 holes – it now offers one 18-hole and one nine-hole course. The owner, Penny Streeter OBE, also talked to us about her incredible rags to riches story in the August 2017 issue of The Golf Business.

This is the UK’s first golf course winery

“Surrounded by some of the most celebrated wine regions in Spain, including DO Empordá, DO Alella y and DO Penedés, PGA Catalunya Resort benefits from a favourable climate, rolling landscape and perfect soil conditions to enable high-quality wine production,” said a spokesman for the club.

In the first phase of planting, carefully selected vine varieties, clones and rootstocks (two varieties of white grape and one red) will include Chardonnay and Xarel lo, a local white variety with an aromatic expression and versatility. The red grape, Garnatxa Negra, is a local, rustic assortment from the Empordà region “that stands out for its fragrant nose as well as its capacity to produce aged wines” added the spokesman.

The new project will also enable vine adoption possibilities for homeowners, as well as grape picking and wine workshops for all guests at PGA Catalunya Resort.

Deriving from the name of an ancient farmhouse that previously occupied the land, Celler Mas Hereu seeks to recover the old Catalan tradition of family wine production for own consumption, creating wines for resort clients and residents.

“The estate’s expansive countryside is enabling us to extend our offering of sporting and leisure activities, and we hope our new vineyard will further enhance the resort experience for visitors and residents,” commented David Plana, CEO of PGA Catalunya Resort.

The development of Celler Mas Hereu is part of PGA Catalunya Resort’s ongoing three-year, €53 million development programme. Plans include the addition of new sporting facilities, including an equestrian centre, a man-made recreational lake and an adjoining beach club.