Wineries are proliferating in China, with some of the more intriguing ventures, including a swish facility built by a European jewelry company boss, located within easy reach of Beijing.

The climate in the north of the nation tends to be more favorable for grape-growing, which is why the most successful producers are located in a broad swathe to the east and west of the capital, a climate that is similar to that of the renowned French wine-producing region of Bordeaux.

China is light years away from producing a vintage that is able to compete with wines from revered chateaux such as Lafite and Rothschild, but recently, vintners have seen the quality improve enormously thanks in part to the increasingly popular policy of hiring winemakers from France and Australia. Customers in China are also becoming more discerning, and are now able to recognize the difference between cheap plonk and wines of style and substance.

This new-found knowledge is fuelling an interest in ......cluding famous local brands such as Changyu, Great Wall, Xintian and Weilong. The best time to visit the region is late August through to early October when the annual harvest takes place. Visitors can sign up to participate in the grape picking and grape-crushing.

Chateau Changyu Castel offers detailed information on the vineyard and museum on its web site: www.changyu.com.cn, inclduing a list of telephone numbers for its respective divisions.