China winery architecture #6: Modestly big chateaux.

In China "bigger is better," according to one Chinese winery executive. So I would rate these Chinese wineries as  architecturally modest Chateau. ("Chateau" is the term Chinese use for wineries.)

Dragon Seal Winery was originally formed as a collaborative effort with Pernod Ricard of France, In 1987. Upon the recommendations of the French new vineyards were established in Huailai County, Hebei Province, with cuttings imported from the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions of France. Those collaborative efforts failed.  Coming out of that failure, Dragon Seal Wines Company became a wholly, state-owned enterprise under the control of Beijing First Light Industry Corporation in 2001. This winery building in Hebei Province is part of that new rebirth. China wine.

Chateau Sun God winery owned by China Great Wall Wine Co., Ltd., located in Shacheng, Huailai County, Hebei Province, China. China wine.

 Ningxia Daylong winery Company in Ningxia Hui autonomous region near Yinchuan is a subsidiary of Thailand's Daysun Group based in Bangkok. China wine.

 Dynasty's Imperial Horse winery spreads out behind one of their vineyards. China wine. China, Ningxia Province.

 Local government-owned Chateau Lanny. China; Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The sign at front entrance identifies the  Leirenshou Grape Winery, which was established in 2002. Like a good company in capitalistic/communistic China, they tout  statics like their manufacturing capacity of something like 6 tons per hour, and annual production of 18,000 tons of wine. I can't remember how many glasses can be filled with 18,000 tons.   China, Ningxia province. China wine.

HeLan Qing Xue Winery, which produced Jai Bei Lan wine, the first Chinese winery to win a gold medal at the Decanter Competition. The resident winemaker, Zhang Jing was once the Deputy Secretary General of Ningxia Wine Industry Association, and winery President and Chairman, Rong Jian, was also President and Chairman of the Board of the Ningxia Wine Industry Association. Now the functions of the Association are taken by a much more active Ningxia Bureau of Grape and Floriculture Industry—now that is a true Chinese name—located near the Helan Mountain Grape Cultural Corridor, with Cao Kailong as the director.  HeLan Qing Xue Winery is now only one of the many wineries in Ningxia Province, China. China wine.

While some functions are high tech, workers still hand glue labels on the bottles at HeLan Qing Xue Winery. China, Ningxia Province, Yinchuan. China wine.

Chateau Changyu-Castel is a joint venture winery between Changyu—China's oldest and most famous winery, and Castel— rated one of the top three wine companies in the world. This is Changyu's first in a series of chateax built throughout China. The winery is located near Yantai, Shandong Province, China. China wine.

This is the neatly organized barrel cellar in Chateau Changyu-Castel. China wine.

While I visited Yantai Happy News Winery Company during September harvest, there didn't seem to be much activity. But with a name like Happy News, how can life possibly be all bad? Shandong Province, China. China wine.

All images copyright ©Janis Miglavs 2014