黄酒Rice Wine

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1. 01Chinese Rice Wine in 5 Minutes: Meet HuangjiuOlder than most of the world's wines, amber in the glass and almost unknown in Europe. Meet huangjiu, China's yellow wine.
2. 02How Huangjiu Is Made: Rice, Qu and the Water of Jianhu LakeGlutinous rice, a wheat starter, cold winter fermentation and a lake whose water is called "the blood of the wine".
3. 03The Four Styles of Shaoxing: From Dry to SweetDry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet: the four classic styles of Shaoxing wine, and how each is made.
4. 04How to Drink Huangjiu: Warm, Cool or on the RocksHuangjiu is one of the few wines in the world that is traditionally served warm. Here is how to enjoy it.
5. 05Rice Wine at the Table: Crab, Braises and CheeseIts savoury depth makes huangjiu one of the most food-friendly drinks in the world. From hairy crab to Parmigiano.
6. 06Cooking with Shaoxing Wine: The Secret of Chinese KitchensFrom drunken chicken to red-braised pork, Shaoxing wine is the secret of Chinese cooking. Here is how to use it, and which bottle to buy.
7. 07Daughter's Red: The Wine Buried for a WeddingA daughter is born, jars of wine go underground. Years later, they come out for her wedding.
8. 08Beyond Shaoxing: Red Qu, Millet and Sweet RiceShaoxing is the capital, but China has many more rice wines: ruby red, made from millet, or so sweet they are eaten as dessert.
9. 09Buying Rice Wine in Europe: Drinking Wine vs Cooking WineMost rice wine on European shelves is made for cooking. Here is how to find a bottle worth drinking.

Explore

The reference

Basics

• Chinese Rice Wine in 5 Minutes: Meet Huangjiu

History

• History

How it's made

• How Huangjiu Is Made: Rice, Qu and the Water of Jianhu Lake

Styles & classifications

• Classifications
• Styles (9)
• The Four Styles of Shaoxing: From Dry to Sweet
• Daughter's Red: The Wine Buried for a Wedding

Regions

• Rice wine regions (4)
• Beyond Shaoxing: Red Qu, Millet and Sweet Rice

Producers

• Producers (7)

Tasting & serving

• How to Drink Huangjiu: Warm, Cool or on the Rocks

Food pairing

• Rice Wine at the Table: Crab, Braises and Cheese
• Cooking with Shaoxing Wine: The Secret of Chinese Kitchens

Market & key numbers

• Key numbers

Buying in Europe

• Buying Rice Wine in Europe: Drinking Wine vs Cooking Wine

Glossary

• Rice wine glossary (16)

FAQ

• Rice wine FAQ (12)

Bottles

• All bottles (4)

Key numbers

Shaoxing wine production

600,000+ tonnes a year (2026)South China Morning Post

Dry huangjiu

≤ 15 g/L sugar (2018)GB/T 13662-2018

Sweet huangjiu

> 100 g/L sugar (2018)GB/T 13662-2018