Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine

Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine

Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine is a geographical indication protected product.

　　Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine is a traditional famous liquor from Zhejiang. It was first created in 1763. Originally produced in Dongguan, near the ancient city of Yanzhou (now Meicheng Town, Jiande City, Zhejiang Province), hence the name. It is made with a base of pure grain liquor, infused with precious Chinese medicinal herbs such as Wujiapi, Codonopsis pilosula, Angelica sinensis, papaya, Amomum villosum, cinnamon, and Polygonatum odoratum, then blended with glutinous rice honey wine and white sugar, and carefully mixed. The wine has a rich texture, with a reddish-brown color tinged with gold. The product is sold in provinces such as Anhui, Fujian, and Guangdong, and exported as far as Southeast Asian countries.

　　[Origin]

　　　　Meicheng Town, Jiande City, Zhejiang Province.

　　[Production]

　　　　It is made with a base of pure grain liquor, infused with precious Chinese medicinal herbs such as Wujiapi, Codonopsis pilosula, Angelica sinensis, papaya, Amomum villosum, cinnamon, and Polygonatum odoratum, then blended with glutinous rice honey wine and white sugar, and carefully mixed.

　　Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine features a garnet-golden hue, a rich and pleasant aroma, and a sweet, mellow, and full-bodied taste, creating an extraordinary and memorable unique style. At the same time, the wine also offers health benefits such as promoting blood circulation, resisting cold, dispelling rheumatism, relieving fatigue, enriching essence and marrow, and boosting qi and spirit. These qualities are attributed to the water quality of the Xin’an River. The Xin’an River water is crystal clear, exceptionally pure and refreshing. The river water maintains a constant temperature of 14°C year-round, and thick fog often envelops the river in all seasons, contributing to a moist climate that is highly favorable for koji-making, fermentation, and pit fermentation. It is also very suitable for the growth of buckwheat and gardenia, the raw materials for Wujiapi wine. Although the Xin’an River water is of excellent quality, the water used for brewing Wujiapi wine comes from wells by the river. Today, the Yan Dongguan Winery still draws its brewing water from the spring well behind the distillery.

　　[Effects]

　　　　The wine has a rich texture, a reddish-brown color with golden highlights, sticky wine residue on the glass, and a harmonious blend of wine, medicinal, and honey aromas. It tastes smooth on the palate and leaves a long-lasting aftertaste. It helps relieve fatigue, promote blood circulation and remove dampness, enrich essence and marrow, and enhance health and longevity.

　　[Honors]

　　　　It won a gold medal at the 1876 Singapore International Commodities Exposition; and gold awards at China’s First Food Expo in 1988 and the West Lake International Food Expo in 1990.

　　In early 2006, Jiande City applied to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China for geographical indication product protection for Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine. By the end of that year, the administration approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for the wine.

　　[History]

　　　　Meicheng’s Yan Dongguan is located by the Xin’an River, where the famous Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine is produced. The Xin’an River originates in the mountainous regions of southern Anhui and flows from west to east through the entire territory of Jiande. The area above Yan Dongguan in Meicheng is called the Xin’an River, and the section below is known as the Fuchun River, which eventually flows into the sea via the Qiantang River. Jiande became the capital of Mu Prefecture in 667 AD, and Meicheng has been the prefectural seat ever since, boasting a history of over a thousand years. Local legends still tell the story of Li Bai traveling downstream from Anhui to Meicheng in those days, getting drunk on the locally brewed Wujiapi Wine and lying asleep on the rocks by the river.

　　Meicheng’s Yan Dongguan has a long history of winemaking and rich wine culture. As early as the Song Dynasty, the “Xiaosao Wine” produced in Yanzhou was already being sold in Lin’an. The Song Dynasty writer Luo Dajing’s work *Helin Yulu* records a story mentioning Xiaosao Spring Wine, indicating that it was already considered a fine liquor at the time.

　　The geographical indication product protection area for Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine is defined according to the scope proposed in the Jiande Municipal People’s Government Letter No. [2006]13, “Regarding the Delimitation of the Geographical Indication Product Protection Area for Yan Dongguan Wujiapi Wine,” covering eight towns (streets) along the Xin’an River basin in Jiande City, Zhejiang Province: Meicheng Town, Sandu Town, Qiantan Town, Yangcunqiao Town, Xiaya Town, Xin’anjiang Subdistrict, Yangxi Subdistrict, and Genglou Subdistrict.