Wing Lee Wai Wines Ltd., founded in Guangzhou in 1876, Wing Lee Wai relocated to Sheung Wan, Hong Kong in 1905. It mainly deals in Chinese wines such as Siberian ginseng wine and rose wine. Mr Ching, the fourth-generation owner, is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner by training, and has passed his recipes on to his son who now runs the business. Looking around the shop, there are many photos and paintings that hold historical significance. Meanwhile, an intriguing tale lies behind the brand’s packaging and logo alone.

Apart from being a beverage, wine can also be used as a cooking ingredient – a head chef who is particularly fond of time-honoured Hong Kong brands incorporates the winery’s brews into his French dishes.

With the passage of time, raw ingredients became increasingly difficult to source, while high rent and labour costs led the company to move its production line to Macau. The wine-making techniques and the shop’s prized treasure, which have been passed down through the generations, serves as an important source of spiritual support that sustains this business with more than a century of history.