Pioneer that became giant faces tough competition

Changli county in Hebei province had the market to itself when it produced China's first bottle of dry red wine, but the situation is very different now, according to an official.

However, the county remains one of the key areas in China for red wine production, said Zhang Peng, who works for the local industry's administration committee.

In 1979, a winery in the county started to experiment with red wine. After four years of research, it successfully made the first bottle of this style in China, using the cabernet sauvignon grape variety. The wine was given the brand name Beidaihe.