On October 6, I took a train to Suncheon. 30 minutes later, I arrived at Cheongdo Station. After leaving the station, I got on a bus and 20 minutes later saw a sign that said “Wine Tunnel 700m.” I got off the bus at the bus stop and walked towards the tunnel. Finding the tunnel was very easy because I just had to walk straight.

I felt cool when I entered the tunnel because it has an average temperature of 14 - 16℃ with a humidity of 60 - 70%. The wine is aged in these conditions. I think summer is the best time to visit the tunnel to escape from the heat.

The Wine Tunnel is a storehouse for wine. It was once called Namseonghyun Tunnel, but the Cheongdo Wine Company renovated it into a wine cellar and opened it to the public in March 2006. The tunnel was built with red bricks. It has a height of 5.3m, a width of 4.5m, and a length of 1km.

We take for granted that wine is made from grapes, but Cheongdo Wine Tunnel wine isn’t made from grapes; it is made from persimmons. This wine is called Gamgrin. Gamgrin wine is the only wine to be made from persimmons. It has an astringent, sweet and sour taste. It has a special flavor and taste which is hard to get from grape wine.

All persimmon wines are white wines. Unlike normal white wine, Gamgrin is rich in tannins. Tannins help strengthen our capillaries, so they are effective against palsy and arteriosclerosis. Gamgrin is also rich in citric acid and vitamins A and C. Vitamins A and C are good for the prevention of colds, anemia, and night blindness. Persimmons are also good for digestion and are low in calories, so they are good for our health. Gamgrin was selected as the official dinner wine of the 2005 APEC leaders’ meeting.

The Wine Tunnel offers visitors the opportunity to taste two wines, Gamgrin No. 3 and Gamgrin No. 5. No. 3 has a sweet, somewhat astringent and soft taste, so it is good for people tasting wine for the first time and for people who hate strong liquor. No. 5 is more bitter, so it is good for people who like strong liquor and don’t like sweet wine. They also have ice wine.

If you want to know more about the Wine Tunnel, you should visit http://www.gamwine.com/. Please remember to check public transportation timetables.