Over the next two days, we, along with an eclectic group of foreigners hailing from such diverse countries as Ethiopia, Pakistan, the UK, Italy, Georgia, Peru, and the US, toured the city’s many wine-related sites. We visited the Heishangmei Raspberry Wine Chateau, where we partook in evening revelries that included eating, singing, dancing, and plenty of wine drinking.

We visited the Changyu Wine Culture Museum, where we learned about the history of China’s wine industry and found ourselves face to face with giant, 100-plus-year-old oak barrels capable of producing 20,000 bottles of wine.

Arguably the most memorable place we visited on our once-in-a-lifetime tour of Yantai was the Chateau Changyu-Castel, where Changyu’s wine-making magic really happens. This unforgettable locale consists of 135 hectares of stunning vineyards, with a charming European-style castle situated amid the seemingly endless greenery.

However, no less impressive was Changyu’s nearby wine production center, a remarkably massive structure cleverly designed to look like a bunch of enormous barrels of wine. But luckily, we didn’t find ourselves drowning in a sea of wine upon entering them. Rather, we were treated to a fascinating tour of the facilities and bared witness to all the advanced technology required to produce wine on the scale that Changyu does.

So ultimately, was the trip worth it? You betcha. After all, who could pass up the opportunity to visit such a remarkable seaside city like Yantai and try out some of the best wine in all of China? If you’re ever in the area, or you’d love some nice wine, or if you simply feel like exploring a beautiful city, give Yantai a try. I doubt you will regret it.

About the authors: Matt and Jeff Stevens are twin brothers from the US who have spent three years living in China. They enjoy exploring the country and studying Chinese.