Putting Chinese wines on the map

Located in Yantai, the museum was established in 1992 at the former site of Changyu, China's first industrialized wine manufacturer.

It has become a popular tourist destination, and visitors can see the cellar, taste premium wines and have wine appreciation lessons. Hong Yuyan, a manager of the Changyu Tourism Company, said around 300,000 tourists visit the museum every year.

Nestled between the blue waters of Bohai Bay and the sprawling mountain ranges along Shandong's northern coast, Yantai is the only city in Asia to be honored as an International Grape and Wine City by the International Organization of Vine and Wine.

It is said that Zhang Bishi, an overseas Chinese businessman in Southeast Asia, selected Yantai to build the Changyu winery in 1892 because he heard about the coastal city from French friends, who said the city's climate and sunshine were ideal for making wine.

The city produced 14.85 million liters of wine in the first half of this year, accounting for 29.2 percent of the country's total production during the first six months, according to the Yantai Grape and Wine Bureau.

Yi Fenghuang, the head of the bureau, says 152 winemakers are planning operations in Yantai, including heavyweights Changyu, Junding, Great Wall and Grand Dragon.

Around 50 chateaus have been built in Yantai as the industry has developed. They have boosted wine tourism, which helps people to understand wine.

Visitors to chateaus in Yantai can tour vineyards and check out the cellar stores and workshops. At Chateau Changyu Castel, tourists can participate in picking grapes during the harvest season and make wines themselves.

Lin Chengcai, office director of the Yantai Grape and Wine Bureau, said a million tourists visit the city's chateaus every year.

Contact the writers at cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn

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