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Intoxicating museum of world wines
By Chen Ye |
June 3, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ONE of Qingdao's new and intoxicating ventures is Red Wine Street featuring China's biggest wine museum in a vast air-raid shelter, wine bars, wine stores, cafes and restaurants. Chen Ye takes a sip.
In China's biggest wine museum, visitors stroll down Wine Chateau Boulevard, learn the history and technology of wine making, glimpse vineyards around the world and, of course, drink wine.
The more Chinese know about wine, the more they are likely to drink, and China has a long way to go. Average annual per capita consumption is only 0.33 liters, compared with world champion Luxembourg at 70.36 liters, the museum says.
The 8,800-square-meter Qingdao Wine Museum is built in an underground air-raid shelter, making it perfectly cool for a wine cellar as well as a wine bank. There connoisseurs can store their vintages and get advice on investments.
It has 19 wine bars featuring wines from more than 20 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and the United States.
The museum is located on Qingdao Red Wine Street, a major economic development, that opened last September and features numerous wine stores selling wines (red, white, sparkling) from around the world. The developing commercial street also features cafes and restaurants. The street is near Qingdao's famous Beer Street.
"The museum focuses on the origins and history of wine, displays wine culture and promotes the wine technology and knowledge," says museum Director Wang Qifan.
Visitors walk down a 192-meter-long corridor, the Wine Chateau Boulevard, featuring interactive displays, LED screens and numerous exhibitions covering every aspect of wine and wine making through the ages around the world, including wine rituals.
It also features Chinese wines, legendary yellow rice wines and newer vintages of reds and covers the notable wines of Shandong Province and other wine-growing regions.
At the entrance is a large statue of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus (Bacchus) near a grape vine.
"Dionysus not only has the power to intoxicate people but also to maintain peace and love in the world," says Wang.
Displays include wine containers through the ages, including ancient Chinese pots, Greek amphorae, barrels of all kinds, glasses, cups, decanters and accessories.
The UK government donated a 400-year-old set of crystal glasses once owned by an aristocrat.
The museum displays oil paintings and sculptures from around the world that feature wine and wine drinking.
Wang says the museum houses China's first wine bank, perfectly temperature controlled.
"Our professional staff provides wine selection service, storage service, advice on vintages, wine investments and other issues," Wang says.
The museum contains an exhibit by Huadong cellar, one of China's most famous brands.
"The Qingdao government aims to create a brand-new Lan Kwai Fong (a famous bar street in Hong Kong)," says Lin Hong, director of Information Office of Qingdao.
"It is rebuilding Yan'an No.1 Road, Huangshan Road and Guangrao Road for the purpose to establishing an awesome wine street for Qingdao," he says.
"People who understand wine can enjoy it better," says Xin Ye, the museum designer.
"Compared with the rest of the world, our wine consumption is very low and we have a huge distance to cover, lots of room to improve."
The museum will help people learn wine history and culture and this will encourage them to drink wine, Xin says.
"Wine in moderation is healthy."
In China's biggest wine museum, visitors stroll down Wine Chateau Boulevard, learn the history and technology of wine making, glimpse vineyards around the world and, of course, drink wine.
The more Chinese know about wine, the more they are likely to drink, and China has a long way to go. Average annual per capita consumption is only 0.33 liters, compared with world champion Luxembourg at 70.36 liters, the museum says.
The 8,800-square-meter Qingdao Wine Museum is built in an underground air-raid shelter, making it perfectly cool for a wine cellar as well as a wine bank. There connoisseurs can store their vintages and get advice on investments.
It has 19 wine bars featuring wines from more than 20 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and the United States.
The museum is located on Qingdao Red Wine Street, a major economic development, that opened last September and features numerous wine stores selling wines (red, white, sparkling) from around the world. The developing commercial street also features cafes and restaurants. The street is near Qingdao's famous Beer Street.
"The museum focuses on the origins and history of wine, displays wine culture and promotes the wine technology and knowledge," says museum Director Wang Qifan.
Visitors walk down a 192-meter-long corridor, the Wine Chateau Boulevard, featuring interactive displays, LED screens and numerous exhibitions covering every aspect of wine and wine making through the ages around the world, including wine rituals.
It also features Chinese wines, legendary yellow rice wines and newer vintages of reds and covers the notable wines of Shandong Province and other wine-growing regions.
At the entrance is a large statue of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus (Bacchus) near a grape vine.
"Dionysus not only has the power to intoxicate people but also to maintain peace and love in the world," says Wang.
Displays include wine containers through the ages, including ancient Chinese pots, Greek amphorae, barrels of all kinds, glasses, cups, decanters and accessories.
The UK government donated a 400-year-old set of crystal glasses once owned by an aristocrat.
The museum displays oil paintings and sculptures from around the world that feature wine and wine drinking.
Wang says the museum houses China's first wine bank, perfectly temperature controlled.
"Our professional staff provides wine selection service, storage service, advice on vintages, wine investments and other issues," Wang says.
The museum contains an exhibit by Huadong cellar, one of China's most famous brands.
"The Qingdao government aims to create a brand-new Lan Kwai Fong (a famous bar street in Hong Kong)," says Lin Hong, director of Information Office of Qingdao.
"It is rebuilding Yan'an No.1 Road, Huangshan Road and Guangrao Road for the purpose to establishing an awesome wine street for Qingdao," he says.
"People who understand wine can enjoy it better," says Xin Ye, the museum designer.
"Compared with the rest of the world, our wine consumption is very low and we have a huge distance to cover, lots of room to improve."
The museum will help people learn wine history and culture and this will encourage them to drink wine, Xin says.
"Wine in moderation is healthy."
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