Jishui Winter Wine

Jishui Winter Wine

　　Jishui Winter Wine has long enjoyed a fine reputation with the saying “Once the jar is opened, a thousand homes are filled with fragrance; once the cup is raised, ten thousand people are intoxicated.” It is considered a premium product among similar types of yellow wine in China.

　　 Jishui Winter Wine features a golden-yellow color, a fragrant aroma, and a rich, mellow, smooth flavor that refreshes the palate. When served cold, it is pleasantly cool and invigorating; when served warm, it warms the body and wards off the cold. Consumed in moderation, it helps relax the muscles and joints, stimulate circulation, lift the spirits, and relieve fatigue. After being cellared for three years, it is called “Old Winter Wine,” which becomes even more fragrant and rich in taste, better at harmonizing blood and qi, warming the stomach, and protecting against the cold. Old Winter Wine can also be used medicinally to treat various ailments such as bruises and injuries. Beyond drinking, Jishui Winter Wine also serves as an excellent cooking ingredient. It can eliminate fishy, gamey, and mutton odors. In the famous dish “Three-Cup Chicken,” one of the three cups must be Jishui Winter Wine.

　　In Jishui folk culture, it’s almost a rule to serve wine at every banquet, and that wine is Jishui Winter Wine. Even in modern times, when people enjoy foreign or famous wines, they often find themselves coming back to Jishui Winter Wine, saying they feel reassured drinking it. In local restaurants across the county, a pot of Winter Wine is often heated with ginger slices, goji berries, and chopped scallions, delighting guests. In Ji’an, Nanchang, and other cities and counties, shops selling Winter Wine prominently display “Jishui Winter Wine” on their signs. Jishui Winter Wine wins the favor of men, women, and children—both casual drinkers and connoisseurs—with its genuine quality and value. Among varieties, the one from Shuixi is particularly rich and mellow.

　　 Jishui Winter Wine is brewed after the Start of Winter (a traditional solar term), using “osmanthus glutinous rice” that is ground into brown rice with a stone mill. The rice is then steamed, cooled, mixed with wine yeast, and left to ferment to extract the juice. This is blended with sweet, clear well water, poured into jars, sealed with mud, and left to mature over the winter before being opened—resulting in “Winter Wine.”

　　Jishui has a long history of winemaking. Archaeological finds from the Warring States period unearthed in Chatan, Liaqiao Township, include numerous wine vessels such as double-handled spouted pottery, double-handled pottery jars, and low-footed cups. This shows that hosting banquets with wine has been an important part of Jishui’s traditional culture for thousands of years.