The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour (IX) / The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour (IX), 3

Shaoxing wine / 绍兴酒 /

The history of Shaoxing winemaking goes back over 2000 years. The local wine is famous for its extraordinary taste and golden hue. This is one of the finest wines made from rice.

There are many stories about Shaoxing wine.
A long time ago, a cook filled the rice with water, put a lid on the pot and put it in a corner to cook soon. And I forgot about him. A few days later, an unfamiliar strong smell hit his nose, he removed the lid from the pot, where there was rice, tried it and could not stop. Attracted by his loud giggling and bursting laughter, the workers came running and also tried the outlandish drink. This was the first wine tasting.

It is customary to drink Shaoxing wine warmed up. The bottle is poured into porcelain jugs with a widening neck and placed in a bowl of hot water. When the liquid level in the jug rises to a certain level, it means that the wine is warmed up. The Chinese drink from tiny porcelain or jade bowls. It is inconvenient to clink glasses with them, and it is not accepted either. When offering a toast, you need to raise the bowl with your right hand as a sign of respect, and hold the bottom with your left hand.

As with many peoples, alcohol has served the Chinese social function since ancient times, giving solemnity to rituals and helping people find a common language. According to the Chinese, to sip wine with someone from the same cup means to establish communication between souls. During the wedding ceremony, two cups are presented to the bride and groom. They taste the wine, change glasses and take another sip. When, on New Year's Eve, the head of the family wants to remember the ancestors, he sips wine from the ritual cup and places it in front of the tablet with the names of the deceased. The Chinese character Jiu means alcoholic beverages and flows like a river. But a drunken Chinese man can be seen extremely rarely, since it means losing face, which, in turn, means a shame that cannot be washed off.