1. Definition

Yellow wine is my country’s national specialty, also known as rice wine. It is a brewed wine and occupies an important position among the three major brewed wines in the world (yellow wine, wine and beer). .

Yellow rice wine is mainly made from grains such as glutinous rice and millet. After a specific processing and brewing process, the raw materials are contaminated by various molds, yeasts, etc. in the liquor, koji, and slurry. A type of low-alcohol juice wine (pressed wine) brewed by the action of alcohol.

2. Classification

(1) It can be divided into three main regions by region, and thus three major schools and styles of rice wine are formed

1 .Northern rice wine represented by Jimo old wine from Shandong Province.

2. Southern rice wine represented by Fujian old wine and Longyan sinking tank wine from Fujian Province.

3. Jiangnan yellow wine represented by Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai: Jiangsu Danyang "Fengtan Wine"; Zhejiang "Kuijishan", "Tapai", "Guyuelongshan" Shaoxing Wine; Shanghai area's "Jinfeng", "Shikumen", "Hejiu", "Dianshan Lake" Shanghai-style rice wine. ?

(2) According to the different sugar content, the total sugar content of rice wine can be divided from low to high into four categories: dry rice wine, semi-dry rice wine, semi-sweet rice wine, and sweet rice wine.

1. Dry rice wine

The total sugar content is equal to or lower than 15.0g/L, such as Shanghai rice wine, Yuanhong wine, etc. Suitable for consumers who prefer light and refreshing drinks. ?

"Dry" means that the sugar content in the wine is small, and the sugar is fermented into alcohol, so the sugar content in the wine is the lowest.

Color, aroma and style: The taste is mellow and fresh, rich and mellow, orange to dark brown, clear, transparent and shiny. ?

2. Semi-dry rice wine

Wine with a total sugar content of 15.1g/L-40.0g/L, such as Tejia rice wine, Shikumen Shanghai old wine, and Nonghao wine Adult wine, Huadiao wine, etc.

"Semi-dry" means that all the sugar in the wine has not fermented into alcohol, and some sugar is still retained. The wine is rich in quality, has excellent flavor, and can be stored for a long time. It is the top grade rice wine. Color, aroma and style: The taste is mellow, soft and fresh, rich and mellow, orange to dark brown in color, clear and shiny. ?

3. Semi-sweet yellow rice wine

Wine with a total sugar content of 40.1g/L-100.0g/L, such as Shanjiujiu, Qinglu Miqinglu, Jimo Laojiu, etc.

Color, aroma and style: mellow, sweet and refreshing, harmonious body, rich and mellow aroma, clear, transparent and shiny. ?

4. Sweet rice wine

Wine with a total sugar content higher than 100.0g/L, such as Xiangxue wine, Chentan wine, honey-melon honey clear wine, etc. Color, aroma and style: fresh, sweet and mellow, harmonious body, rich and mellow aroma, orange to dark brown, clear, transparent and shiny.

3. Famous wines

Zhejiang Huadiao wine, Fujian old wine, Jiangxi Jiujiang Fengtan wine, Jiangsu Danyang Fengtan wine, Wuxi Huiquan wine, Guangdong Pearl red wine, Shandong Jimo old wine, etc.

Recognized by the Chinese wine-making industry as the most popular in the international and domestic markets and the most Chinese-style, Shaoxing wine is the first choice. ?

4. Storage Requirements

Yellow rice wine is a fermented wine. Generally, the alcohol content is low. The most significant characteristic of rice wine is that it becomes more fragrant with age. The storage of rice wine has the following requirements: ?

(1) It should be stored in underground wine warehouses.

(2) The most suitable temperature for rice wine is generally below 20 degrees, and the relative humidity is between 60-70%. The lower the storage temperature of rice wine, the better. If it is below minus 5 degrees, it will be affected. If frozen, it will deteriorate, the jar will break due to freezing, and it will not be easy to store in the open air.

(3) It is not suitable to store other smelly items or drinks in the same warehouse. (4) It is not prone to frequent vibrations and cannot be exposed to strong light. (5) Do not use metal containers to store rice wine.

(6) After the rice wine is unsealed, it is easy to go rancid due to the entry of air and should not be stored for a long time. (7) Ordinary rice wine should be stored for one year, so that the wine can become aromatic and mellow.

If stored for too long, the color of the wine will deepen, especially for wines with high sugar content; the aroma will change from mellow to fruity, with a burnt smell, and the taste will change from mellow to light. (8) Precipitation will occur in rice wine after storage. This is caused by the aggregation of proteins in the wine. This is a normal phenomenon and does not affect the quality of the wine. But be careful not to regard rancidity and turbidity caused by bacteria as normal precipitation. If the wine is cloudy and has a strong sour taste, it has deteriorated and is not drinkable.

5. Drinking temperature and method (1) Warm drinking of rice wine?

The most traditional way to drink rice wine is to drink it warm. The distinctive features of warm drinks are the rich aroma and soft taste of the wine. There are generally two ways to warm wine: one is to put the wine container in hot water and heat it, and the other is to heat it over a fire. However, the rice wine should not be heated for too long, otherwise the alcohol will evaporate and become bland and tasteless. Generally, warm drinks are popular in winter. ?

The best tasting temperature for rice wine is around 38℃, and scalded in water to 60-70℃. During the process of blanching rice wine, the very trace amounts of methanol, aldehydes, ethers and other organic compounds contained in the rice wine that are not beneficial to human health will evaporate as the temperature rises. At the same time, the lipid aromatics will evaporate as the temperature rises. It rises and evaporates, making the wine taste sweeter, mellower, and more fragrant. Therefore, drinking rice wine hot is very beneficial to your health. (2) Chilled rice wine? Currently, in Hong Kong, my country and Japan, a way of drinking iced rice wine is popular among young people. It is especially popular to drink rice wine with ice. To make your own chilled rice wine, put the rice wine in the refrigerator and keep the temperature at around 3°C. Put a few pieces of ice in the cup when drinking to make it taste better. You can also add plums, lemons, etc. to the wine, or mix it with some Sprite, cola, or juice according to your personal taste. It has the effect of relieving heat and promoting appetite. Add frozen soda water to the rice wine. The light astringency of the soda water and the rich medicinal aroma of the rice wine are fully combined, making people feel refreshed.

(3) Rice wine with food?

The food pairing of rice wine is also very particular. By pairing different dishes with different wines, you can appreciate the unique flavor of rice wine. Take Shaoxing wine as an example: the dry Yuanhong wine should be paired with cold dishes such as vegetables and jellyfish skins; the semi-dry rice wine should be paired with meat and hairy crabs; the semi-sweet wine should be paired with chicken and duck; the sweet wine should be paired with chicken and duck. This type of fragrant snow wine should be paired with beets.

6. Yellow rice wine companion and nutritional benefits

(1) Yellow rice wine with ginger slices, plum blossoms, wolfberry and longan. Rice wine itself is regarded as a good medicinal wine and is often used as a medicine. For drinking, add rice wine to Chinese wolfberry, longan and other traditional Chinese medicines that have beautifying effects, soak them and cook them, which can nourish qi and blood. External application is not as good as internal administration. Long-term consumption of it by women can make their complexion rosy, their hair luxuriant, and their face more radiant. This is a result that cannot be achieved by simply using beauty and skin care products. ?

(2) Yellow rice wine and dates

Yellow wine will have a sour taste if stored for a long time. If you put a few black dates or red dates in the wine, the rice wine will remain sour for a longer period of time. . The red dates absorb the essence of rice wine, giving it a plump shape and rich taste; while the rice wine is tainted with the sweet aroma and sugar of red dates, making the wine taste more mellow. Remove the pits from the red dates and eat the meat, blanch them in rice wine and drink them warm. If you want to have one or two tender seafood dishes, the three colors of yellow, red and white complement each other and will be pleasing to the eye and heart. ?

(3) Green plums with yellow rice wine

Green plums have the effects of producing body fluids and quenching thirst, moistening the lungs and stomach, clearing the liver and activating the kidneys. It also contains 18 kinds of amino acids and multiple vitamins. Green plums dissolve It reduces the potency of the wine, and the rice wine also softens the sourness of the plums. Both of them are the protagonists.

(4) Rice wine and seasonal fruits

The fruits can be lemon slices, cherries, cucumbers, etc., which are visually refreshing and fresh. This is a popular way to drink rice wine in Japanese restaurants: put some ice cubes in the glass, pour a small amount of rice wine, dilute it with cold water, and then add a slice of fresh lemon or cherry. It feels like a cocktail and full of fun. . ?

(5) Rice wine beverages

Beverages can be Sprite, Coke, juice, etc., drink it after cooling it, it is like drinking a clear spring, mellow and delicious, and the summer heat will disappear. .

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(6) Rice wine and beer

It is said that there was once a popular way of drinking rice wine in Quzhou City, Zhejiang, "one to two" or "one to three", that is, drinking a bottle of rice wine Mix it with two or three bottles of beer and boil it over the fire before drinking it. After shaking hands with beer, the mellow taste of rice wine has been greatly reduced. This way of drinking is not suitable for drinking slowly, but is more suitable for drinking together without getting drunk.

7. Principles of dish matching

Take Shaoxing wine as an example: Dry Yuanhong wine should be paired with vegetables, jellyfish skin and other cold dishes; semi-dry rice wine should be paired with Meat, hairy crabs; semi-sweet wine, suitable for chicken and duck; sweet wine, suitable for beets. ?

8. Identification method

(1) Observe the color: Better rice wine is orange-yellow in color, clear and transparent, and a small amount of protein precipitation is allowed; while turbidity, impurities, etc. should be Considered an inferior product.

(2) Smell and smell: Better rice wine has the unique aroma of rice wine, rich and mellow, without other foreign odors; while inferior rice wine is made with alcohol, etc., has no raw material aroma and has the smell of alcohol. , acetic acid gas and other miscellaneous gases, and even the pungent smell of alcohol.

(3) Test the feel: Pour a small amount of wine into the palm of your hand. The brewed rice wine will have a very strong greasy feeling and will be very sticky after drying; while the prepared rice wine will only feel like water and will not feel sticky after drying. Feeling sticky.

(4) Price comparison: Better rice wine is brewed from pure glutinous rice, has a low wine yield, and is aged for three to five years or even longer. The price is generally not very cheap, so Low-priced aged rice wine needs attention.

(5) Taste: Good rice wine has a mellow and smooth taste, pure and mild taste, and has the typical flavor of rice wine without any foreign odor. The taste of shoddy rice wine is unclear and lacks the freshness and mellowness that high-quality rice wine should have. It often has other miscellaneous flavors such as alcohol, fragrant and refreshing taste, watery taste, burnt bitterness, etc.

9. Introduction to Famous Wines (1) Zhejiang Huadiao Wine

Shaoxing is the hometown of yellow wine well-known both at home and abroad. Yellow wine represents Chinese culture. Shaoxing Huadiao is the essence of yellow wine, and "Nv'erhong" It is the icing on the cake for Shaoxing flower carvings. The name of the wine "Nervhong" comes from the widely spread folklore of marrying with wine.

According to legend, a long time ago, there was a tailor in the countryside of Shaoxing whose wife was about to give birth. He thought that his wife would be pregnant with a precious son, and he would definitely celebrate when his son was born. He specially asked a famous winemaker to brew several jars of rice wine in preparation for entertaining relatives and friends. However, contrary to expectations, his wife gave birth to a daughter, which was like pouring cold water on the tailor's head. No one was invited to drink the brewed wine, and all the wine was buried under the tree behind the house. Time flies, and when the tailor's daughter grows up, she is pretty, smart, and very lovable. The joyful tailor married her to his most proud apprentice. When he was serving wine to entertain guests on his wedding day, he suddenly remembered the jars of old wine buried under the tree more than ten years ago, and dug them out. When the altar is opened, the strong fragrance overflows, making people want to drink after smelling it, and the aftertaste of drinking is endless. The guests at the banquet had never tasted such an aged wine with such an orange-red color and mellow taste, and they all praised: "When a daughter is buried red, a fairy child emerges from the boudoir." Since then, many families in Shaoxing have given birth to girls, and they must drink "daughter red". "Bury it in the ground and entertain guests when your daughter gets married. The wine at that time had a fragrant aroma, amber color, and mellow taste. It could be called the best aged Shaoxing rice wine. This is how the wine “Ner Hong” got its name. This custom has become popular in the Tang Dynasty. There is a poem about drinking this wine in "Qing Bai Lei Chao": "The Yue women make wine and the wine is like rain. They are not reborn as men and are reborn as women. My daughter lives in the east of Donghu, and the spring dregs drip pearl red at night." This wine has been used for 18 years. , 8 years or 5 years of aging, naturally mellow and incomparable.

(2) Fujian Old Wine

Any red yeast rice wine brewed from glutinous rice and aged for more than one year is generally called "old wine". Fujian Laojiu, formerly known as "May Red" wine, is a typical representative of Fujian red yeast rice wine and was once known as the No. 1 rice wine in the country. In order to highlight Fujian characteristics, it was named "Fujian Old Wine" in 1958 and the registered trademark was "Gushan" brand. During the New Year and festivals, many people in Fujian keep a few bottles of Fujian old wine. Fuzhou's "Three Lanes and Seven Alleys" are filled with the aroma of old Fujian wine, refreshing and intoxicating.

There is a saying that "opening the altar brings fragrance to hundreds of miles, washing the urn intoxicates thousands of families".

The brewing history of Fujian red yeast rice wine can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. The literati at that time were particularly fond of Fujian's red yeast rice wine. When Su Shi, a writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, was exiled to Lingnan, he liked to drink some Fujian red yeast rice wine when he was bored and depressed at night, and left a poem: "Last year, I was in the clouds, and the Fujian wine was as red as pills at night." The Fujian wine here is Fujian red yeast rice wine. Fan Chengda, a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, wrote a poem "Shiba Shuzi" in praise of old wine: "The lychees and plums are green, the cardamom and apricot flowers are red. The tea is quick to touch the belly, and the old wine is in Futou." The poem praises the Fujian specialty lychees, tea and old wine. .

Academics praise Fujian old wine. Professor Zhu Baoyong of Wuxi Institute of Light Industry praised: "Fujian old wine is the best rice wine in the country with excellent color, aroma and flavor." Engineers Zhu Mei and Qi Zhidao, the elders of my country's fermentation technology, praised in the article "my country's Original Red Yeast Brewing Industry in Fujian Province": "Red yeast wine is a unique wine in my country, with Zhejiang rice wine as its sister wine. One red and one yellow are comparable, and they are two great creations of our country... But the most famous wine is red yeast wine, which is also one of the most famous wines in the country. ”

(3) Jiujiang Aging. Fengtanjiu

A traditional famous wine in Jiangxi Province, it originated in the Yuanhe period of the Tang Dynasty a thousand years ago, when it was called fermented rice wine. Fermented rice wine is unpressed and filtered rice wine. Why was fermented fermented wine later called aged sealed vat wine? There is an interesting folklore here.

One year, the Queen Mother held a banquet and held a "Peach Peach Festival" in Yaochi to entertain all the gods. The Earth God heard that Jiujiang fermented rice wine was delicious and mellow, so he took a jar to heaven when he went to the Peach Fair, preparing to invite the gods to taste it with him. At the banquet, there were delicacies, jade liquid, nectar, exotic fruits and delicacies, everything was perfect. The Queen Mother proudly invited the gods to come and drink. After a round of wine, the God of the Land remembered the fermented wine he had brought, and asked his attendant to open it. He wanted to taste it himself first, and then invite the gods to taste it. Unexpectedly, as soon as the wine jar was opened, the mellow smell of wine entered the noses of all the great immortals. Before the Earth God could taste it himself, everyone rushed forward. You had a bowl, he had a bowl, and they all grabbed it in one go. But the Queen Mother's jade liquid and fine wine were left aside, with no one paying attention. When the Queen Mother saw that the wine in the world actually exceeded the fairy wine in heaven, she felt that she had lost face, was annoyed and ashamed, and was very angry. She ordered the Earth God to seal all the fermented wine jars in Jiujiang, and no one was allowed to drink from it. When the Earth God saw that he had caused such a big disaster, he was so frightened that he kept kowtowing in apology. Before the banquet was over, Bianhan hurriedly came to the world and ordered the vat to be sealed, and anyone who violated it would be beheaded. When the people heard about it, they were angry and resentful, but they had no choice but to seal the wine load. One year, two years,... five years passed, and the man who was used to drinking fermented fermented wine couldn't bear it anymore. A brave man secretly opened the seal and found that the fermented fermented wine after sealing the jar was like nectar, especially sweet. The color also changed from the original light yellow to amber. This discovery surprised and delighted him. I secretly told my friends about this. So the news spread like wildfire, and everyone unsealed it one after another. Seeing that the Queen Mother had forgotten this matter, the Earth God turned a blind eye and was happy to benefit from it. From then on, the fermented fermented grains wine was named "aged sealed vat wine". There is a folk song that summarizes this matter. The folk song goes: "The jade liquid in the sky is not as good as the sealed vat in Jiujiang. The color is delicious, the sweetness is stable, and the anger kills the Queen Mother."