Hotel plants 19,500 vines in partnership with wine estate
South Lodge in West Sussex joins forces with Ridgeview
AluxuryhotelnearHorshamhas teamed up with a South Downs vineyard to become one of the latest‘vineyardhotels’intheUK.
South Lodge Hotel, in Lower Beeding, has joined forces with Ditchling-based wine estate Ridgeviewandthefirstof19,500 vines were planted at the hotel last week.
The vineyard will span nearly 15 acres across two south-facing plantings which will include chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grape varieties, although it will be two years before any grapes begin appearingasthevinesestablish.
Ultimately, it is planned to produce 30,000 bottles of sparkling wine from the vines, with the wine-making process firmly in the hands of the Ridgeview team.
Once the vineyard is fully established, around 10,000 bottles will be produced solely for South Lodge and the wider ‘Exclusive Collection’ of hotels – of which South Lodge is part – andwillbemadeavailabletobuy from the hotels directly.
Exclusive Collection managing director Danny Pecorelli said Ridgeview was a long-term partner of South Lodge and the two businesses shared the same vision.
Hesaid:“Ridgeview’sgrowing legacy of producing exemplary sparkling wine for over 25 years coupled with operating as a true family run business with strong sustainability pillars of people, environment and economics made the partnership choice quite simply, easy.
“We are extremely lucky to have the expertise of Ridgeview to support us on this exciting journey.”
Ridgeview chief executive Tamara Roberts added: “It is a rareprivilegetobeworkingwith anotherfamily-ledcompanywho shares so many of our strongly held values and our vision for the future responsibilities of businesses to do the right thing socially, economically and environmentally.
“The opportunity to work with the Excusive team on their ambitiousandexcitingvineyard project could not have come at a better time for Ridgeview as our next phase of investment to double our production capacity is now underway.
“Guests across the Exclusive properties will be able to enjoy a unique, estate grown vintage sparklingwinewhichwehaveno doubt will be among the finest in Englandwhenreadyforrelease.”