Grace Vineyard, Shanxi, China/ 中国山西怡园酒庄

In 1997, with the assistance of the renowned French wine scholar, Dr. Denis Boubals, a location in Taigu County, Shanxi, was selected – that is today’s Grace Vineyard and is now one of China’s most highly regarded wine producers in terms of quality.

Many people asked our founder, Mr. Chan, why Grace Vineyard was established in Shanxi, which is a province known for its coal-mining industry and its consequently high levels of air pollution. There are two main reasons behind the site chosen. First, Mr. Chan ran a coal-mining business in Shanxi decades ago. He saw the impact of the industry on the environment and felt compelled to preserve the environment with all of his might. Second, during the investigation of location, our trusted wine scholar discovered that Taigu has Bordeaux-like draining soils, which was ideal for growing vines. Moreover,Taigu is located in the central basin of Shanxi, far from the northern and southern areas where the mining industries are concentrated. The clean air and natural surroundings combined with the sandy soil quality made it the perfect location for growing vines; and the decision has been proven correct through our high-quality wine products.

Chinese winery Grace Vineyard was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June, 2018, raising over HK$406 million, the majority of which will be invested in building its winemaking facilities in Ningxia province, China’s leading winemaking region.

Pingyao, officially Pingyao Ancient City, is a settlement in central Shanxi, China, famed for its importance in Chinese economic history and for its well-preserved Ming and Qing urban planning and architecture. Administratively, it comprises the town of Gutao in Pingyao County in Jinzhong Prefecture. It has a population of about 50,000.

The town is first recorded c. 800 bc and has been the seat of local government since at least the Qin. By the 16th century, it was a regional financial hub; some consider it to have been the financial centre of the Qing Empire in the late 19th century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a AAAAA-rated tourist attraction.