Daze Mountain Grapes

Daze Mountain Grapes

Daze Mountain Grapes are a protected geographical indication product.

Daze Mountain Grapes are a certified geographical indication trademark.

Daze Mountain Grapes are a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　    Daze Mountain Grapes are primarily grown in the western foothills of Daze Mountain in the northern part of Pingdu City, covering an area of about 30 square miles, making it the largest grape-producing region in the province. Daze Mountain Town has been designated by the state as the “Hometown of Grapes.” There are over 100 varieties of Daze Mountain Grapes, mainly including Muscat, Rose Honey, Longan, and Red Heart, among others. In recent years, premium varieties such as Chardonnay and Riesling, which are used for winemaking, have also been cultivated. The grapes are large-clustered, plump, beautifully shaped, high in sugar content, and rich in aroma, making them one of Shandong Province’s renowned fruit products. It is said of Daze Mountain Grapes: “They look beautiful to the eye, do not drip when cut, taste sweeter than honey, and fill the mouth with a refreshing fragrance.” They are now sold throughout China and exported to countries and regions such as Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.

　　    China has many mountainous and hilly terrains, but few possess the unique natural conditions found in Daze Mountain. The Daze Mountain range spans over a hundred square kilometers, with the grape-growing areas concentrated along the western foothills, covering an area of about 30 square miles in an east-west orientation. This range stretches across the eastern part of the Jiaodong Peninsula, acting like a natural barrier that blocks cold air from the north. The foothills feature crisscrossing valleys, forming basins and valleys of varying sizes. At the center of Daze Mountain Town lies Daze Mountain Reservoir, a water collection basin fed by springs. Villages and farmland are distributed at the foot of the mountains and beside the reservoir. “The surrounding peaks encircle and give rise to springs, converging into the great Daze,” and these peaks together form a vast basin-like environment, creating an exceptionally favorable natural setting and microclimate for grape cultivation. Additionally, spring temperatures rise early here, allowing fruits like cherries to ripen 7–10 days earlier than in the Yantai region. Rainfall is concentrated in June and July, while during the grape ripening season in August and September, most years are sunny with little rain and significant day-night temperature differences, which help the fruit accumulate sugar. The climate is similar to France’s Mediterranean type, making it highly suitable for grape growing. Since the 1970s, foreign experts who have visited have praised Daze Mountain as the “Bordeaux of China.” The soil, formed from weathered rocks, consists of sandy loam and brown soil, which are highly permeable and rich in phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter. Grape cultivation here has a long history, though the exact starting time is unclear. The *Pingdu Prefecture Annals*, compiled in the fifth year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, already listed grapes as one of the main fruits. Based on this, the cultivation history of Daze Mountain Grapes is at least 300 years old. Early planting villages include Sanshandongtou, Tanjiakuang, Yinjia, and Panjia. By the late Qing Dynasty, grape cultivation had become relatively widespread, with Longan (Lion Eye) and Liuzi being the main varieties, which were supplied to the former Qingdao Wine Factory. After the 1980s, grape cultivation became the local main industry, and grain crops were no longer planted. In recent years, wine grape varieties have developed rapidly, with major producers such as Yantai Changyu, Qingdao Huadong, and COFCO establishing planting bases in the area. Popular table grape varieties include “Muscat” and “Ze Shan No. 1,” while leading wine grape varieties are “Chardonnay,” “Cabernet Sauvignon,” and “Bai Chun.” The grape industry has become a vital economic livelihood for local farmers.

　　    Daze Mountain Grapes are large-clustered, plump, brightly colored, thin-skinned, tender-fleshed, sweet, juicy, and pleasant in taste. Measurements show their sugar content generally ranges between 18–27 degrees, and can reach over 33 degrees. They contain various vitamins and amino acids, and regular consumption is believed to soften blood vessels, moisturize the skin, aid in weight loss, and help prevent cancer. As the saying goes: “They look beautiful to the eye, do not drip when cut, taste sweeter than honey, and fill the mouth with a refreshing fragrance.” In recent years, the widespread adoption of bagging techniques has significantly improved grape quality, marking an important step toward producing pollution-free and green produce.

　　    Daze Mountain Grapes have long been one of Shandong’s specialties, alongside Laiyang Pears and Changle Watermelons. In March 1995, during the national “Top 100 Specialties” selection, they were awarded the first-ever national title of “Hometown of Grapes in China” by the Ministry of Agriculture. They won a gold award at the 1999 Kunming World Expo. At the 2008 Olympic Fruit Recommendation and China Famous Fruits Exhibition, among the three fruit varieties recommended by Qingdao City, Daze Mountain Grapes were the sole recipient of the first prize and were named a “China Famous Fruit.”

　　    The protected geographical indication area for Daze Mountain Grapes is based on the scope proposed in the *Pingdu Municipal People’s Government Report on the Application to Define the Production Area of Daze Mountain Grapes* (Ping Zheng Zi [2007] No. 31), covering the current administrative region of Daze Mountain Town, Pingdu City, Shandong Province.

　　    Daze Mountain Grapes

　　    Geographical Scope

　　    The production area of Daze Mountain Grapes is located 30 kilometers from downtown Pingdu, 20 kilometers from the Weifang-Laiyang Expressway, 100 kilometers from Qingdao Airport, and 35 kilometers from Laizhou Port, offering convenient and extensive transportation links. The protected geographical indication area spans 96 square kilometers within 34 administrative villages—including Tanjiakuang, Tuanshizi, Nanchang Village, Xi Wu Jia, and Si Jia—within Daze Mountain Town, east of San Cheng Road and along the Daze Mountain range. The geographical coordinates are longitude 119°52′21″ to 120°02′48″ and latitude 36°55′46″ to 37°01′03″, with an average elevation of 94 meters. The production area covers more than 30,000 mu, with an annual total output of 50,000 tons.

　　    Product Quality Characteristics

　　    1. External Sensory Characteristics: Muscat: The clusters are neat and uniform, with dark purple berries and prominent white bloom on the surface. The flesh is translucent and elastic, with a sweet, mellow taste and a strong rose aroma. Ze Xiang: The clusters are neat and uniform, with yellow-green berries. The flesh is crystal clear, elastic, and offers a sweet flavor. 2. Internal Quality Requirements: The fruit sugar content (refractive sugar degree) is ≥17%, and the titratable acid content is ≤0.4%. 3. Safety Requirements: The product meets the NY/T5086-2002 pollution-free fresh grape standards or the NY/T428-2000 green food grape standards. 4. Packaging: Uses 2kg, 2.5kg standard paper color boxes and 1kg, 2kg premium paper gift color boxes. 5. Storage: Stored in preservation coolers or cellars. Preservation cooler storage maintains a temperature of 0–3°C and relative humidity of around 80%.