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China has been producing wines for centuries. The earliest records date to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.). but wine was a precious commodity used only in sacred temple rituals and in the palace of the Emperor.

In modern times, the wines of China tended to be either extremely high in alcohol or very sweet, and wine was not as popular as beer or other drinks. Yantai Changyu Winery was established in 1892 and was awarded gold medals and a Grand Prize at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915 for a brandy, a red wine and a Vermouth.

Modern wine making methods and a greater variety of grape vines were reintroduced in the 1980s, but the road to wine production has not been easy. As the Chinese economy has changed, the demand for higher quality wines has opened up both an importing industry and a domestic wine industry that is once again beginning to be noticed outside the Great Wall...

China Wine Online - This site carries the latest wine news headlines, descriptions of the major wine growing regions, history of wine production in China and other interesting info on wine in China.

Is There Wine In China? - A report from an American wine educator's trip behind the Great Wall reveals that there are wines made in China - in more than 100 Chinese wineries. What that means to the rest of the world is explored through a series of articles.

China Grape-wine Industry Research Report - An abstract from a research report done in 2000 which gives the basics of the wine industry in China including the main grape growing regions. According to this report, Chang Yu, Dynasty and Great Wall are the three major labels accounting for 45% of all domestic wine sold in China.

The East is Red...in terms of wine - A look at the story of Huadong Winery in Shandong Province catches the spirit of wine making in China. This winery has won international awards for some of the wines it produces.

China Wants Wine - The wine industry in China cannot keep up with the demand for quality wines. This article gives the basics of wine production and a decent look at what it will take to break into this market as an importer.

Vineyard Industries Toast Success Wine, Grape Growing Wild - Guo Qichang, the chief engineer of China's Wine-making Association, presents a forecast for the next 15 years of wine production in China's Shandong Province.

Vineyards in Asia - Japan, India, China, Indonesia - This database of vineyards & wineries, wine sellers, wine info, wine media and wine organizations links to many of the regions wine related sites. There is no indication of language used and you'll find that quite a few offer no English translation. There are some Chinese winery sites in English or offering the option of English versions.

also see in Travel -> Beijing | China Tourist Attractions