Government officials and international guests attend the opening ceremony. Photos by Ju Chuanjiang / China Daily

The sixth Yantai International Wine Exposition began in Yantai on June 27, providing business forum for domestic and foreign wine producers and equipment manufacturers.

More than 450 exhibitors from 20 top wine producing countries including France, Spain, the United States, South Africa, Italy and Chile, are arriving in Asia's only International Grape and Wine City - a title conferred by the International Office of Vine and Wine - to showcase premium products to the event's 10,000 participants.

"Yantai enjoys rich resources and an enormous advantage in developing wine industry. We sincerely hope this expo can help more people make business in Yantai and conduct exchanges and cooperation on wine sector," said Zhang Jiangting, Party secretary of Yantai.

The three-day event has 706 booths that offer more than 2,000 types of wine, brandy, whiskey and rum set amid varied chateaus. It also offers tourism products as well as winemaking equipment.

A number of China's leading wine producers including Changyu, Great Wall, Weilong, Baiyanghe, Dynasty, and Nanshan Land are in attendance, joined by some of the world's most prestigious foreign brands - Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild from France, Chateau Montelena from the US and Nederburg from South Africa.

Among the high-profile companies is Changyu Pioneer Wine Co Ltd, China's oldest and largest vintner.

Established in 1892, the company is holding a series of activities to celebrate its 120-anniversary during the expo.

A full range of its products are on display at the company's 1,200-square-meter pavilion.

Zhou Hongjiang, general manager of Changyu, said the company now has 20,000 hectares of vineyards, nearly 30 percent of the total in China, and 10 luxury chateaus across the world.

"We are looking for more robust growth by expanding the existing vineyards and building another 20 chateaus in the world's top grape-growing regions in the next five years," said Zhou.

Overseas winemakers, increasingly attracted by the rapidly growing Chinese wine market, are hosting a range of promotions and wine-tasting events.

"China is one of our most important target markets. We had hoped more Chinese consumers know and take to our wines through this expo, and actually we have already found some new clients," said Zakkie Bester, chief executive officer of the Riebeek Cellars, a famed wine producer in South Africa.

"Although the wine market in china is fast growing, it still needs time for Chinese to understand wine culture. I hope they can learn to enjoy diverse wines with different food and drink some wine everyday," he said.

Also underway is SITEVINITECH China, an international expo on technologies and equipment for growing grapes, winemaking, bottling and packaging.

Yantai has held five international wine festivals since 2007 that have attracted more than 300,000 guests from 60 countries and regions.

wangqian2@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/28/2012 page24)