Yin Guowen, vice secretary general of the municipal government, at a press conference June 19,2007.[chinadaily.com.cn]

"This festival is helpful for Yantai to gain the fame of an international wine city," said Yin Guowen, vice secretary general of the municipal government, at a Tuesday press conference.

Yu Lichen, deputy director of Yantai APEC Trade & Investment Exhibition Center, said the international wine festival "will conclude various activities, such as a top forum on wine industry, exhibitions, economic and trade talks and professional shows." He noted that the festival has invited famous wine industrial associations and top foreign wine enterprises, from countries including France,, Germany, Portugal, Chile and Australia, who will attend the wine exhibition from September to October.

Meanwhile, delegations of local governments and companies from China's 10 biggest wine manufacturing areas will exhibit their products as well. For example, China's three wine manufacturing giants, the Chang Yu Company, the Great Wall Company, and the Dynasty Winery Company, will cover more than 300-square-meters in display areas respectively at the exhibition.

The themes of the First Yantai International Wine Festival are brand development, spreading culture, and promoting cooperation. This event is sponsored by the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV), the China Alcoholic Drinks Industry Association, the China National Association For Liquor Circulation and the Yantai Municipal Government.

Yantai is the only Asian city granted the status of an International Grape and Wine City," by OIV, and it stands as the largest wine producing area in China. Famous companies like Chang Yu, Great Wall, Dynasty and Castle Chateau of France contributed to the fame of the "Grape Shore" in Yantai. There are more than 100-million-square-meters planted with wine-making grapes there.