Grace Vineyard, a family-owned vineyard in China, is located in Taigu county, 40 km south of Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi Province. Taigu has a continental climate with distinct seasonal variations, characterized by cold winters, hot summers, low precipitation, and wide diurnal variations in temperature. The clean air and unique climate combined with the Bordeaux-like draining sandy soil provide ideal conditions for wine grape cultivation and growth. Trace back to the Tang Dynasty, a famed poet and philosopher, Liu Yuxi (772 – 842), wrote a poem called Song of the Grape, versifying on grape wine: “… We men of Jin, such grapes so fair, Do cultivate as gems most rare; Of these delicious wine we make, for which men ne’er their thirst can slake” (translated by T. Sampson). This section of the poem shows the evidence that the current Taiyuan, that is the ancient state of Jin, is a place historically known for high-quality grapes and winemaking even dated back to the early 7th century in the Tang Dynasty.

Mr. Chun-Keung Chan founded Grace Vineyard on August 28, 1997, with the assistance of the renowned French wine scholar (Bordeaux oenologist) Denis Boubals and Frenchman Sylvain Janvier. It was not an ordinary dream, but Mr. Chan and his family were able to fulfill it, and the winery has become China’s most popular winery and the winner of international recognition.

Mr. Chan has a vision – building Grace Vineyard as a family legacy. He believes that making high-quality wine is an arduous process that will take generations of effort and devotion.In 2002, Mr. Chan passed his leadership to his daughter, Judy Chan when she was just 24. 

Judy is a graduate of the University of Michigan and worked in a global investment bank in Hong Kong. She took over her family business in Taigu and embarked on her journey of this family-owned boutique winery in China.

Mr. Chun Keung Chan was born in Medan, Indonesia in 1951, from where he traces his family roots back to Longyan, Fujian Province in Southeastern China. In 1965, he returned to China and studied at the Beijing Overseas Chinese Training School (now known as the Beijing Chinese Language and Culture College). After being sent by the Party to Inner Mongolia as an apprentice mechanic, Mr. Chan continued his study and graduated from the Taiyuan College of Technology (now known as the Taiyuan University of Technology).

In 1975, Mr. Chan decided to settle in Hong Kong and expand his business interests to a greater level, including businesses on infrastructure and utilities development such as power plant and sewage treatment, corporate investment such as Grace Vineyard, and real estate in China. He is now the President of Origin Holdings (HK) Limited. 

Despite his busy schedule, Mr. Chan is actively involved and took part in various cultural and educational programs and other charitable work. Apart from being the Chairman of Grace Vineyard, Mr. Chan is also a member of the Fujian Standing Committee of the CPPCC, Vice President of the Huaqiao University in Fujian, and the Vice President of the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Association.

Judy Chan, President of Grace Vineyard, graduated from the University of Michigan with a double degree in Psychology and Women’s Studies and Organizational Studies. In 2002, Judy resigned from her work at an investment bank and took over her family business. With her determination, vision, and global perspective, she oversees the entire process of winemaking, from grape growing, wine making and bottling, sales and marketing, to strategic planning of Grace Vineyard.

Under Judy’s leadership, the winery has won international recognition and worldwide acclaim, including from famous wine critics Jancis Robinson and James Halliday, as well as the Wine Spectator, Decanter, and other wine magazines. The winery has expanded its market beyond Hong Kong and China, to Japan, Singapore, Great Britain, Belgium and Netherlands.