The story appears on

Page A13

November 18, 2017

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Feature

Best time to brew yellow rice wine is winter

IT may not be very cold yet, but winter is definitely on the horizon in China after the arrival of lidong, or Winter Begins. Tradition dictates that it is time to consume tonic food to beef up the body ahead of a severe winter.

Shaoxing wine, also known as the yellow rice wine, is an essential ingredient for many traditional Chinese medicine recipes and Chinese dishes.

The wine has its origins in Shaoxing in east China’s Zhejiang Province. It is made with selected rice and special yeast over an extended period. The making of the new batch of wine usually starts around lidong. And by lichun, or Spring Begins, which is usually in February the next year, it is ready. The four-month production period is traditionally called “winter brewing.”

With a history of more than 2,500 years, Shaoxing wine is still hand-produced by the locals with traditional method of brewing. The process was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Largely dependent on the low temperature, winter brewing, or dongniang, utilizes a natural process using the water of the Jianhu Lake for a rich, well-balanced taste with smooth mouthfeel and subtle aromatics.

A leading yellow rice wine production base, Shaoxing boasts nine brand-name breweries, whose products are exported to more than 40 countries and regions around the world.

Aged yellow wines are referred to by year of brewing, similar to grape vintage year. The annual output of yellow rice wine from Shaoxing is estimated at around 600,000 tons, amounting to 5.3 billion yuan (US$798 million) sales in total.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend