[Video/chinadaily.com.cn]

Hong Kong entrepreneur Rita Cheung shared her insights on the great potential of the wine industry in Yantai, a coastal city in Shandong province and her personal reflections on the cultural meaning of winemaking during an interview on July 3.

Cheung and her husband began investing in Yantai in 2008. At the time, their primary business interests were in other sectors. After visiting the area and learning about its winemaking ambitions, they decided to explore things further.

"We invited a viticulturist from overseas to analyze the soil, the environment and the climate," she said.

The analysis confirmed that the area had strong potential to develop into a high-quality wine district, which strengthened their confidence in investing further.

Over the years, their winery, Mystic Island Winery, has won widespread recognition in both domestic and abroad markets. "The vines have been actually doing very well and giving us a very nice wine," Cheung said.

Nestling in Qiushan Valley, an area in Yantai's Penglai district characterized by its grape-friendly climate and soil, the winery has benefited from the region's natural advantages.

"If we can't get the premium grapes, there's no way we can make premium wines," she said.

Located in the golden latitude of 37 degrees north, Yantai offers the ideal conditions for premium winemaking with abundant sunshine, coastal influences, and favorable soils, making it especially favorable for consistent, high-quality grape production.

The region is now home to more than 200 wine producers and over 60 boutique wineries, spread across three key sub-regions — Qiushan, Liulin River and Pula valleys.

For Cheung, however, winemaking is more than a business — it is a form of artistic expression.

"One of the things I also enjoy doing is to compare wine with art," she said. Each year, from planting and harvesting to fermentation and bottling, the process becomes a way of telling the story of that year in the vineyard, according to her.

"Through wine, we can share the story of this place — and of Yantai itself," Cheung added. She believes that this storytelling quality allows people to connect with the land on a deeper level.