Lounges, night clubs, discos and upscale restaurants: The most-fashionable places in big cities have putaojiu (grape wine) on
their drink lists. Just a few years ago, Chinese wine had a bad reputation, but nowadays foreign brands are being replaced by local brands, which are quickly improving in quality. Grape cultivation and wine-making in China-said to have been established before the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)-are coming back in force. However, per capita consumption remains low, about 0.5 liter per year.