REGIONAL> Development
Penglai, the world's wine industry corridor
By Li Anna (China Daily Shandong Bureau)
Updated: 2009-04-01 11:15

On the morning of March 26th, Château Lafite－Rothschild,one of four world－crowned wine producers, signed a contract in Penglai,where a chateau is planned to be built with a total investment of 100 million yuan.

Meanwhile, Liewang Valley Chateau,invested by Huadong Winery with 150 million yuan, and Shengtang Chateau, with an investment of 300 million yuan,are currently under construction.

To date, the city of Penglai has housed more than 10 high－class chateaus from home and abroad, including Junding,Huadong Berry, Shengtang,ARC and Treatyport Vineyard, with an annual wine production of more than 10,000 tons, sales revenue of 1 billion yuan and profits of 500 million yuan．

As a result, Penglai has become the wine industry corridor of China．The mayor of Penglai, Zhang Dailing,commented on Penglai's notoriety to China Daily:"With strong momentum,the wine industry is one of the pillar industries in Penglai now."

Penglai, one of seven world－famous grape coasts, is generally acknowledged as an area for high－quality wine. Recently, it has produced more than 50 wineries with a total wine production of 100,000 tons annually, helping it become one of the largest wine producing areas.

Along the road between Yantai and Penglai, a wine industry belt of 18 kilometers was formed, integrating grape planting, wine producing and tourist sightseeing.

In Nanwang, Qiushan and Liewang valleys in the south of Penglai, chateaus of different styles including Junding, Lafite and Treatyport Vineyards were built one by one at a total investment of 500 million yuan.Thus, a new industry has emerged, integrating grape planting,wine producing,tourism and wine culture.

The annual "Seven Grape Coasts Development Summit Forum", the International Wine Appreciation Contest, and other major events held in the city help make Penglai better known in the wine field. Now, the Penglai grape coast is attracting more and more tourists from home and abroad, receiving 120,000 tourists annually and bringing in more than 1 billion yuan in tourism revenue.