Wine in China? Are there real Chinese wines for drinking (not cooking)?

Question

I don't mean the chardonnays and cabernets which stores like Wing Yip promote. I know the long tradition of great, classic Chinese poetry which is heavily involved with wine (respect to Li Po!). But what sort of wine was he drinking? And what do Chinese people drink in the provinces?

Answer 1

There are lot of different types of liquors in China and they match with different food. For example, Chinese usually consume shanghai hairy crabs with Shaoxing jiu (a typical nice yellow wine).

Chinese refer different Chinese wine with "names", such as Kaoliang, Maotai, Jiafan, ...!

There are two main varieties of Chinese wines are fermented wines (Chinese: 黃酒; pinyin: huáng jiǔ; literally "yellow liquor"), which may be clear, beige, or reddish-brown in color; and distilled liquors (Chinese: 白酒; pinyin: bái jiǔ; literally "white liquor"), which are usually clear liquids. Grape wine (Chinese: 葡萄酒; pinyin: pútáo jiǔ; literally "grape wine") was first mentioned in classical Chinese poems around 1,000 years ago in the Tang Dynasty.

Chinese wines are traditionally warmed before being consumed. The temperature to which the liquor may be warmed ranges between approximately 35 and 55 degrees Celsius, well below the boiling point of ethanol. Warming the liquor allows its aromas to be better appreciated by the drinker without losing too much alcohol. Optimal temperature for warming depends on the type of wine as well as the preference of the drinker.

In 1972, Maotai (a famous Chinese white wine) was served to US President Richard Nixon during the state banquet, since then, it is one of China's official state banquet wines and claims to be one of the world's three best known liquors (together with whisky and cognac). Maotai now comes in different versions ranging in alcohol content from the standard 53% by volume down to 35%.

For more information about Chinese wines, please refer below website
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_wine

Answer 2

Today there are many wines in China like Dynasty,Great Wall,yellow wine from Shaoxing and what they call White wine made from rice some of these are very expensive and taste good,you can get the cheep white wine but its smell is very strong.As i now live in China have tasted many plus with the Chinese New Year coming there is going to be much consumed then.If you like beer there is a plentifully supply of that too but mostly a larger the most famous is called Qingdao which was started by the Germans in the early 19 hundreds.

Answer 3

I think Rice Wine made from fermented rice stock is popular in the Provinces.

Answer 4

When Chinese talk about wine they are usually referring to rice wine, which is like the Japanese Sake. It's usually clear and very strong. It'll knock your hat off.
I've had one that has a dead snake in it to give it healthy properties.

Answer 5

I would like to have a glass of wine right now

Answer 6

do they drink saki rice wine?