Introduction

Kweichow Moutai is produced exclusively in Renhuai Town, Zunyi County, Guizhou Province, China. It is one of the three famous distilled spirits along with Scotch whiskey and French Cognac. It is the originator of Daqu Maotai-flavor liquor.

Moutai has a mysterious and long history. Moutai is also China’s national liquor. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Maotai liquor has been presented as a national gift to foreign leaders at numerous major events. Since ancient times, there have been countless literati and poets who yearn for and praise Maotai. It is no exaggeration to say that every small "side" of Moutai liquor has rich humanistic and historical stories, and has profound cultural accumulation and humanistic value. Just like a fragrant business card sent by China to the world, the concrete Maotai liquor and the abstract "humanity" not only let the world know itself with its intoxicating aroma, but also vividly demonstrated the charm and charm of Chinese wine culture to the world. Let them understand China and Chinese culture.

The quality of the wine produced by Moutai is particularly good, and this has been confirmed since ancient times.

Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, was full of praise after drinking wolfberry sauce wine. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty Liu Cheyin praised it as "sweet". Huang Tingjian, the great poet of the Northern Song Dynasty, once wrote the famous line "A glass of wine in the spring breeze of the willows, and a lamp in the rivers and lakes in the rainy night for ten years". When he drank it, he sighed and said, "It's so good to drink." Shi Da, a famous general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, opened the Seven Classics of Kindness. After drinking Maotai liquor, he wrote an eternal famous saying: "Ten thousand hectares of pearls are harvested in one jar. The king bows his head even when he comes here. The red snake lifts up Optimus Prime, and the water of the Yangtze River flows back after drinking all the water." Although King Yi was defeated at Dadu River, does the metaphor of "Optimus Prime" held up by a red snake in his poem make people vaguely realize that Moutai on the banks of the Chishui River will become China's "national drink" a hundred years later?

Features

Moutai is the most perfect example of Maotai-flavor Daqu liquor, so "Maotai-flavor" is also called "Maotai-flavor". The wine is bright and transparent, with a slight yellow color, and the sauce aroma is outstanding and intoxicating. If you don't drink it with the cup open, the aroma will be fragrant. Drink it happily, and the mouth will be full of fragrance. After drinking, the cup will be empty, the fragrance will be bigger and last longer. The taste is elegant and delicate, the wine is full and mellow, the aftertaste is long, and the fragrance of grass is endless. Moutai liquor is pure, transparent, mellow and fragrant. It is composed of three special flavors: sauce aroma, cellar bottom aroma, and mellow sweetness. There are now more than 300 known aroma components. The alcohol content is 53 degrees.

Place of Origin

Moutai is produced in Moutai Town on the Chishui River in Renhuai City, Guizhou Province. It is surrounded by mountains and has a dangerous situation. It is the chokepoint for land and water transportation between Sichuan and Guizhou. The water quality of Chishui River is pure, sweet and contains a small amount of minerals, which is perfect for making wine.

Moutai liquor is named after it is produced in Moutai Town on the Chishui River in northern Guizhou. Since Maotai Town is located in a river valley, the wind speed is low, which is very conducive to the habitat and reproduction of microorganisms that make Maotai liquor. In the 1960s and 1970s, relevant experts across the country used Moutai wine technology, raw materials, pit mud, and even workers and technicians to produce products in different places, but the products they produced could not achieve the same results. It also fully proves that Moutai is inseparable from the place of origin and that Moutai cannot be cloned. For this reason, in 2001, Moutai became the first Chinese liquor to be included in the country's protected area of ??origin product.

Variety

The trademark of Moutai was originally printed with woodblock printing. It was just a few regular script words "Guizhou Province Moutai" written in a petal-shaped pattern. Later, it was changed to Lianshi paper type printing. Trademark naming: Chengyi Winery is "Shuangde Brand", Ronghe Winery is "Maisui Brand", and Hengshi Winery is "Shanying Brand". In 1952, the name was changed to "Workers and Peasants Brand". After 1954, there were two types of trademarks: domestic sales and export: "Jinlun brand" (also known as "Gongnong brand") for domestic sales, and "Feixian brand" for export. During the Cultural Revolution, it was once changed to "Sunflower Brand", and then restored to "Golden Wheel Brand" and "Feixian Brand", which are still in use today.

A brief history

The earliest record of the history of winemaking along the Chishui River is Sima Qian's "Historical Records". "Historical Records·Biographies of Southwest Yi" records: In more than 130 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty Liu Che drank the famous wine "Goji Sauce" from Yelang (today's northern Guizhou area) and couldn't help but praise it: "It's sweet." Later, there was a history that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent General Tang Meng to Guizhou to open up a barbarian road, specifically detouring through Renhuai, where Maotai was located. There is a saying: "What is the Han family's wolfberry sauce? It earns Tang Meng's Yi tribe." Maotai was called the Yi tribe in ancient times, and Maotai was called the Yi tribe. Goji sauce, according to research, is a wine produced in the Chishui River area of ????Renhuai, which is made by fermenting fruits and adding grain.

In the history of Chinese wine-making, liquor brewed entirely from grains began in the Tang and Song Dynasties.

The Daqu wine produced in the Moutai area along the Chishui River has become a tribute to the imperial court. During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, brewing workshops of a certain scale were successively built in Yangliuwan, Maotai Town (today’s Maotai Distillery Workshop 1 area). It is worth noting that Maotai’s brewing technology at that time had created a unique "return" Sand” craft.

By the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the winemaking industry in Renhuai area reached the point where every village had a workshop. During this period, the Maotai area's unique Huisha sauce-flavor liquor has taken shape. By 1704 (the 42nd year of Kangxi), the brand of Moutai liquor began to appear. A batch of Moutai wines marked by "Huisha Maotai", "Maochun" and "Maotai Shaochun" have become the finest products of Kweichow liquor.

During the Qianlong period, Guizhou Governor Zhang Guangsi petitioned the imperial court to dredge the Chishui River to allow Sichuan salt to enter Guizhou, which promoted the prosperity of the Moutai brewing industry. During the Jiaqing and Daoguang years, Moutai town specialized in brewing Huisha sauce. There were more than 20 lemon Maotai wine-making houses, and the most famous ones at that time were "Gaisheng Liquor House" and "Yamato Shao-house". By 1840, the output of liquor in the Maotai area had reached more than 170 tons, setting a scale that was second to none in the history of Chinese winemaking. "The family only stored wine to sell, and the ships carried a lot of salt" became a historical portrayal of the busy scene of Maotai during that period.

Before 1949, the production of Maotai liquor was in decline, and there were only three distilleries, namely: "Chengyi Distillery" funded by the surname Hua, known as "Huamao"; "Rong Maotai" funded and established by the surname Wang. He Winery" is called "Wang Mao"; "Hengxing Winery" funded by Lai is called "Lai Mao". "Huamao" is the predecessor of Moutai. In 1704, "Gesheng Shaofang" officially named its wine Moutai.

As soon as Guizhou was liberated at the end of 1949, the central government called, requiring the Guizhou Provincial Party Committee and the Renhuai County Party Committee to correctly implement the party's industrial and commercial policies, protect the production equipment of the Moutai Distillery, and continue production. In accordance with the instructions of the central government, Guizhou Province has provided strong financial support to the Chengyi, Ronghe, and Hengxing house-burning houses to help them develop. His bosses were also given political treatment and given positions in the people's government. In 1951, Guizhou Province acquired the largest Shaofang in Chengyi and merged the other two Shaofangs into it to establish the state-owned Maotai Distillery. The government immediately transferred capable cadres and invested a lot of money to expand production scale.

In October 1949, on the eve of the founding ceremony of the People’s Republic of China, Maotai liquor entered Huairen Hall in Zhongnanhai, and the founding fathers of the Republic of China congratulated each other. According to China News Service: The first banquet of the founding of the People's Republic of China was held at the Beijing Hotel on the night of the founding ceremony. From the selection of chefs to the menu and wine products, all were personally approved by Zhou Enlai. The main wine was Maotai. As the country's fortunes flourished, so did its national wine. Moutai, which healed the wounds of the Red Army and washed away its dust, finally became the "founding wine" of the Republic of China.

By the end of the 1990s, Moutai liquor had won 14 consecutive international gold awards.

Brewing

The special climate, water quality and unique brewing technology in the Maotai area have long been known and summarized by the ancients. "Zunyi Prefecture Chronicles" during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty records: "Moutai liquor is made in Moutai Village west of Renhuai City, and is ranked first in Guizhou Province. Its ingredients are pure sorghum, followed by miscellaneous grains. Preparation method: boil the ingredients and mix it. In the cellar, bake it out of the cellar in the middle of the month. The koji is made of wheat, which is called Baishui koji. People in Guizhou call it Daqu wine, which is also called Maotai Shao. The land in Renhuai is barren and the people are poor. There are no less than 20 Maotai Shao houses, which costs a lot of food. No less than 20,000 shi." This record accurately describes the brand, wine quality, production technology and production scale of Moutai liquor at that time.

Moutai uses high-quality sorghum as raw material and high-temperature koji from wheat, and the amount of koji is more than the raw material. The use of koji, long fermentation period, multiple fermentations, multiple wine extractions and other unique techniques are important reasons for the unique style and excellent quality of Moutai. Brewing Moutai requires adding raw grains twice, eight times of fermentation, and nine times of distillation. The production cycle is as long as eight or nine months. It is then aged for more than three years, blended and blended, and then stored for another year. The quality of the wine is more harmonious and mellow, soft and soft. It is ready for bottling and leaves the factory. The entire production process takes nearly five years.

Tasting

The method of sensory identification of the authenticity of Moutai is as follows:

(1) Manufacturer identification

The Moutai distillery does not It has entered into a joint venture with any other manufacturer, nor has it shared its trademark licensing rights with any manufacturer, nor has it established a first factory, a second factory, or a branch factory. Any "Moutai" marked as being produced by an associated factory, the first factory, the second factory, or a branch factory is absolutely certain to be fake.

(2) Registered trademark identification

The entire bottle of Moutai is affixed with the registered trademark "Kweichow Moutai", which is printed on imported 100g stencil paper and is used for 500ml bottles. The size of the trademark paper is 90 mm x 125 mm. The pattern of the domestic wine trademark is divided into three parts: in the middle is a 60 mm wide white diagonal strip from the upper right to the lower left, with two thin black lines and four thick black lines at the top and bottom respectively, and the five red "Kweichow Moutai" The words are sandwiched in the middle. There is a 13 mm wide gold strip at the junction of the diagonal belt and the upper left corner, with four black characters on the strip: "famous at home and abroad". In the upper left corner is a red color block, with a white circle with a diameter of 35 mm and a gold edge in the middle. Inside the circle are circular wheat ears, golden gears and red five-pointed star patterns from top to bottom. There is a thin gold line where the diagonal strip meets the lower right corner. On the red color block in the lower right corner, there are eight white words "Produced by China Moutai Distillery", and under the white words there are black words "53% VOL, 500mL" indicating the alcohol content and capacity. The specifications stated on the back of the bottle are 65 mm x 85 mm and are edged in red. There is a 10 mm wide white border around the edge. The date of manufacture is in blue Arabic numerals. The trademark is beautifully printed, with accurate colors and even trimming.

The trademark and back sticker of the fake "Maotai" are printed on ordinary paper. The trademark specification is 100 mm × 140 mm, and the back sticker specification is 133 mm × 85 mm. The color matching of various patterns is confusing, the layers are unclear, the colors are light, and the specifications are inconsistent. The fonts used are also obviously different from the real trademarks. The factory date is written in red or other colors.

(3) Identification of packaging materials

The bottle of Moutai is a milky white glass bottle with a big red threaded twist-off anti-theft aluminum cap and the words "Kweichow Moutai" on the top. It is written in white, and there is no inner stopper in the mouth of the bottle. The whole bottle of wine is wrapped with a piece of high-quality square leather paper and packed in a color box: the outer packaging color box is made of imported white paper plus fine corrugation. The font and color on the box are consistent with the trademark and back sticker.

Fake "Maotai" bottles are sealed with red plastic caps of different shades, some are transparent without words, and some have fake "Maotai" characters. The bottle caps are either white or red. The lids also have different wall patterns, including yellow twist-off aluminum caps, and plastic lids with twist-off yellow aluminum caps. There are several types of inner plugs: spiral type, waistline type, flat top type, etc. The outer packaging box is made of unqualified and low-quality leather paper or other materials.

(4) Identification of sensory characteristics

Moutai is made from wheat, fermented eight times, and stored for two to three years before leaving the factory. Its unique sensory indicators are that the wine is colorless and transparent, with a mellow and sweet aroma when drinking, no suspended matter and sedimentation, a prominent wine aroma, elegant and delicate, a mellow body, a long aftertaste, and a long-lasting aroma in the empty cup. Fake "Maotai" is mostly counterfeited with sorghum wine, Baigan wine, prepared wine, etc. It is difficult to have the color, aroma and taste characteristics of Maotai wine.

Efficacy

The alcohol content is low but not light, pure, slightly yellow, crystal clear, soft and mellow, neither irritating the throat nor irritating the head. After drinking, it is pleasant and refreshing, and it irritates the intestines. , and has the effects of relaxing muscles and activating blood circulation, promoting health, and extending life. Premier Zhou Enlai commented that Moutai "drinks better than vodka, has the characteristics of not sore throat, no headache, can relieve fatigue and stabilize the spirit". "Former US President Richard Nixon once praised "Moutai liquor can cure all diseases."

Honor

1915 Panama International Exposition Gold Medal

1985 Paris International Gastronomy and Tourism Committee Golden Laurel Leaf Award

1986 Paris, France 12th Gold Medal Award at the 2016 International Food Expo

1986 Asian Star Packaging Award at the 13th Asian Packaging Competition

1987 First Prize for Export Advertising at the 3rd Advertising Conference

1991 Gold Medal at the Second Beijing International Expo

1992 Gold Medal at the Japan International Food Expo

1992 Gold Medal at the American International Famous Wine Expo

1992 The highest gold medal at the Hong Kong International Food Expo

1993 The 53%, 43% and 38% Moutai liquors were awarded special honorary awards at the Bordeaux International Wine Exhibition in France

1994 At the international famous wine tasting event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Panama International Exposition, Moutai won the first place in the special gold medal

Story

1. Winning the Panama International Expo

In 1915, the Beiyang government sent Moutai wine packaged in earthenware jars to the Panama International Exposition in the name of "Moutai Company", but outsiders looked down upon it. In desperation, a Chinese official threw the earthen jar to the ground. Suddenly, the aroma of wine filled his nostrils and shocked everyone. Moutai finally won the championship in one fell swoop.

2. The Red Army and Maotai Liquor

On March 16, 1935, the Red Army captured Maotai. In order to protect the famous Maotai liquor production workshops from losses, the Political Department of the Military Commission posted notices on the doors of Chengyi, Ronghe and Hengxing distilleries, which produce the most Maotai liquor in Maotai Town: "National industry and commerce should be encouraged to develop. The scope of our military protection. The Moutai wine produced by private enterprises is of good quality and won the gold medal in the International Panama Competition in one fell swoop. All equipment such as altars, wine pots, wine bottles, etc. must be protected and not damaged. We hope that all officers and soldiers of our army will strictly follow this notice.” From this notice, we can see that the Red Army attaches great importance to national industry and well-known products.

In order to welcome the Red Army, local people poured out Maotai liquor. Many senior leaders of the Red Army at that time knew that Moutai was good. Red Army engineer company commander Wang Yuenan recalled that he and Mao Zedong's guard Chen Fengchang came back from buying wine from a wine shop and happened to run into Comrade Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong asked, what did you mention? Chen Fengchang replied that he bought wine to drive away fatigue and wipe his legs. Mao Zedong said with a smile: "Maotai is a place famous for its wine, but it would be a pity to wipe your feet with this wine!" Zhou Enlai also introduced to many comrades, "This is Maotai, which won the gold medal at the Panama International Exposition"!

However, for the Red Army at that time, Moutai’s ability to restore fatigue and heal diseases was unforgettable. According to Li Zhen, the first female general of our army who participated in the Long March, later recalled: "In March 1935, we went on the Long March to Maotai Town, Renhuai County, Guizhou Province. Due to the long distance and fatigue and the temporary escape from the pursuit and interception of Chiang Kai-shek's army, everyone hoped to relax At that time, I heard that the local wine was good and fragrant, and everyone was very happy. Some people used the wine to rub their hands and feet, and after wiping it, it really had the effect of relaxing the muscles and activating the blood. The fatigue of the long march has completely disappeared, and the comrades who suffered from diarrhea due to the wind and cold have recovered after drinking wine."

The famous writer Cheng Fangwu wrote in his "Memoirs of the Long March": "Due to the emergency of the military situation. , I don’t dare to drink too much, it is mainly used to wipe my feet and recover from the fatigue of walking. Everyone praises Moutai for its miraculous effect.”

At the end of the Anti-Japanese War, Zhou Enlai once treated the writer Yao Xueyin in Chongqing. Said: "In 1935, when we arrived at Maotai during the Long March, the local people brought Maotai wine to welcome us. The soldiers used Maotai wine to clean the wounds on their feet and legs. It relieves pain and reduces inflammation. Drinking it can treat diarrhea, which temporarily solved our lack of medical care at that time. The victory of the Red Army’s Long March also owes a lot to Moutai.”

Although Moutai made a special contribution to the Chinese revolution, it has never been revered as “the first wine in the founding of the country.” "Two years later, China's "national wine" was judged at a national wine evaluation meeting.

In September 1952, the first national wine tasting meeting in China’s history was held in Beijing. Premier Zhou Enlai not only approved the holding of wine tasting meetings, but also repeatedly warned that they should be carefully organized and strictly controlled to evaluate good wines.

The wine tasting event was hosted by the China Monopoly Industry Corporation. Tens of thousands of wine samples were sent from all over the country. Before the official wine tasting meeting, 103 wine samples had been selected for tasting. After careful evaluation by brewing experts, wine evaluation experts and scholars from all over the country, China's eight famous wines were finally selected and named. Moutai ranked first and has naturally become China's national wine. In a sense, this selection is not only a recognition of history, but also a recognition of the people. Moutai is well-deserved to be named the national liquor!

Since then, Moutai, as the national wine, has not only become the highest-standard, noble state banquet wine and diplomatic etiquette wine, but also a precious and high-quality product among Chinese people. At the same time, the party and the state also attach great importance to the production and quality assurance of Moutai. Even during the Cultural Revolution, Premier Zhou Enlai, who was seriously ill, still emphasized that "the water of the Maotai River is not allowed to be polluted."

In October 1999, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, the Chinese History Museum collected a bottle of 50-year-old Moutai and issued a collection certificate to the Moutai Distillery: "Hereby Maotai liquor is respected as the national liquor due to its century-old relationship and excellent quality with the Republic of China. It is also known as the "No. 1 liquor of the founding of the People's Republic of China" that has been stored in the cellar for 50 years as a gift to Beijing on the 50th anniversary of the Republic of China. Historical testimony and cultural symbol. Now our museum accepts the donation of Kweichow Moutai 50-year-old liquor and keeps it in its permanent collection.”

This collection certificate clearly affirms the red color of Moutai liquor and the Chinese revolution. Love, special contribution, outstanding quality, and the noble and lofty status of Moutai as the national liquor.

Moutai

Has a history of being famous all over the world

As one of the three famous distilled liquors in the world, Kweichow Moutai has been famous all over the world since 1915. started. It can almost be said that before this, although ancient China had a long history of wine making, rich cultural origins of wine, and many fine wines of different styles, no good wine could break out of the land of China and be fragrant. Universal and recognized by the international community.

However, Moutai has gone out, representing the highest level of traditional Chinese liquor. It became a blockbuster when it first crossed the ocean, and became famous all over the world when it debuted on the stage.

At this international expo, after repeated comparisons and evaluations by judges from various countries, they unanimously believed that Maotai liquor has excellent color, aroma and taste and can be regarded as a world-famous wine. Therefore, it was compared with French Cognac. and British Scotch Whiskey were both rated as the world's three largest distilled spirits, and awarded gold medals and certificates. Maotai has since entered the world stage and has occupied the throne of the three most famous wines in the world.

For Moutai to win the international gold medal and become a world-famous wine, there is an inevitability in the accident. This "inevitability" is the unique flavor of Moutai and its excellent quality passed down from ancient times.

After winning the award, Maotai became famous and the supply exceeded the demand. It became the number one famous wine in various important social occasions in China at that time, and also became the only famous wine in China with the highest reputation in the international community. In this sense, Moutai, which has not yet been clearly defined as the "national wine", has actually long had the meaning of the "national wine" and has long been given the great trust and highest honor of the "national wine" by the Chinese people.

One of the gifts Mao Zedong gave to Stalin during his first trip to the Soviet Union was Moutai; at the Geneva Conference, New China’s first diplomatic victory, Premier Zhou said that Moutai was indispensable; during Nixon’s first visit Hua, after breaking the ice in Sino-US relations, what they drank happily with Zhou Enlai was Moutai; after the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, the precious gift that Prime Minister Tanaka brought to his daughter when he returned home was Moutai from Zhou Enlai; after the Sino-British negotiations on the Hong Kong issue ended, Deng Xiaoping and Mrs. Thatcher toasted together to celebrate Maotai... It can be said that it has almost become a routine to use Maotai to entertain state guests; Maotai, as China's national wine and the national gift wine for foreign exchanges, it Represents the long history and profound culture of the Chinese nation.

We can also see the influence of the national liquor Moutai in countries around the world from another aspect. During the Qing Dynasty, most of the merchants who transported and sold salt to Guizhou were from Shanxi and Shaanxi. Maotai on the bank of the Chishui River was a transfer station for salt. A poem written by people at that time, "The salt from Shu went to Guizhou, and the merchants from Qin used Maotai" is the specific description of this situation. Portrait. These "Qin merchants" were wealthy, extravagant and feasting all day long. They were far away in Guizhou and often missed Shanxi's Fenjiu. In order to meet this need, they specially hired workers from Shanxi to work with local brewers to research and create a fine wine specially for them to enjoy.

This move, it is said, started in the 43rd year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1704). After repeated trials and countless improvements, a unique set of brewing techniques was finally figured out to create a unique Moutai. Due to the complex technology and limitations of local climate and water quality, it cannot be imitated elsewhere, so it is particularly precious. At the beginning, Maotai was a private brew among salt merchants. At that time, the poet's "home was used to store wine and sell it, and the ships carried a lot of salt", "the wine crowned the Guizhou people, and the salt climbed the Chihu (huǐ) River", all refer to this Word. During the Daoguang period, this kind of home brew gradually came to prominence. "Qianyu" said: "Maotai Village is under the jurisdiction of Renhuai County. The natives of Binhe are good at brewing. They are named Maotaichun and are very clear." After more than a hundred years of improvement, , improved, Moutai has become a famous Chinese wine that is famous all over the world. Its characteristics are: colorless and transparent, special aroma, mellow and rich, long and sweet taste.

Market

After liberation, the state attached great importance to the development and support of the production of this famous product. After more than thirty years of construction, it began to be re-exported through Hong Kong and Macao in 1953. Since entering the international market, by 1987, the annual output of Moutai had reached 1,700 tons.

Moutai has been exported to more than 150 countries and regions around the world, generating more than 10 million U.S. dollars in foreign exchange annually. It has become China's traditional liquor product with the largest export volume, the most countries, and the highest exchange rate per ton of liquor.