Putting Chinese wines on the map

To guarantee the quality of the wines, Rongzi uses Italian and French pressing machines and bottling equipment.

Nevertheless, the Chinese still predominately prefer to consume traditional alcoholic drinks rather than wine. Baijiu, a white spirit, is often served during formal occasions and traditional festivals.

Wang Qingwei, general manager of Chateau Rongzi, said: "With low alcohol by volume, wine will be a better choice for many people at business events where drinking almost cannot be avoided.

"We can encourage customers to change their drinking habits and adopt a healthier way of consuming alcohol, and this will help wine to gain popularity."

Sales in China dropped sharply in the first half of this year as a result of the central government's campaign to ban officials' lavish lifestyles, Duan said.

"Wine is still seen as a luxury product rather than a daily consumption item in China. In the past, some people did not appreciate the value of wine," he said.

"They bought expensive wines just to impress or even bribe officials. Now those buyers are gone, but this is a good thing, as now the wine market can begin to develop in a healthier way."

Tourist attraction

Wineries have positioned themselves as local tourist attractions to promote the wine culture and boost sales.

Zhang Hanzhe, a 17-year-old senior middle school student, was impressed with the Changyu Wine Culture Museum in Shandong province, a traditional winemaking area. He visited the museum during his summer vacation in August.

"I had never thought that China has such a wonderful history of winemaking," he said. "Before, I tended to only link wine with European countries.

"It was a great experience to learn about the whole production process in the museum. I also learned a lot about how to appreciate wine."

Zhang bought a bottle with a label printed with a photo of his family as a gift for his mother.

"She will love this personalized gift very much," he said.

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