Liuji Yellow Wine

Liuji Yellow Wine

　　Liuji Yellow Wine is a specialty of Liuji Town, Dengzhou City, Nanyang, Henan Province. The wine is brewed using high-quality millet, glutinous rice, and wheat as the starter, undergoing processes such as mineral-infused steaming, oil addition, fermentation, filtration, and aging. Its unique flavor, excellent color and taste, and pure aroma set it apart in the world of yellow wine.

　　A stroll through Liuji Town in Dengzhou City reveals the town’s deep connection to yellow wine—yellow wine signs are everywhere, and rows of earthenware jars filled with the brew line the streets… When people think of yellow wine, they think of Liuji, which has almost become synonymous with it. In the 1980s, there were hundreds of yellow wine shops in both Dengzhou City and Liuji alone. Today, Liuji Town still boasts no fewer than a hundred yellow wine workshops of various sizes.

　　Fan Zhongyan has a notable connection to Dengzhou’s yellow wine. In the spring of the fourth year of the Qingli era, Teng Zijing, who planned to renovate Yueyang Tower, painted a panoramic view of the tower and sent it with a letter to Dengzhou, asking his friend Fan Zhongyan to write a preface. Deeply moved by Teng’s effort to seek his writing from afar, Fan hosted the messenger that evening with Dengzhou’s renowned yellow wine, drinking joyfully until the third watch of the night. After arranging for the messenger’s rest, Fan, inspired by the wine, took up his brush at Huazhou Academy, where he wrote the timeless masterpiece “Memorial to Yueyang Tower” in one go. He also poured his sincere sentiments into the preface—“Be the first to worry about the world’s troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures”—a line hailed as a timeless classic, celebrated through generations.

　　Unlike distilled spirits, naturally fermented yellow wine offers benefits such as promoting blood circulation, nourishing yin and beauty, dispelling cold and unblocking meridians, and prolonging life. Regular consumption can improve blood circulation and boost metabolism. For these reasons, yellow wine has long been favored by consumers. Nowadays, Dengzhou’s yellow wine production has exceeded 6,000 tons, with products not only meeting the demands of the Dengzhou and Nanyang markets but also being exported to Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and other regions. Late last year, the development of the yellow wine industry was included in Dengzhou’s 12th Five-Year Plan, signaling that the industry’s growth and flourishing are just around the corner.

　　Liuji Town has been a hub of yellow wine production since ancient times, with nearly every household skilled in brewing, especially in Huzhou and Xiaozhouying, known for the highest quality. Liuji Yellow Wine is primarily made from rice or glutinous rice, fermented with red yeast, resulting in a mellow, sweet, and fragrant brew that promotes blood circulation, boosts energy, and supports the spleen and liver. In recent years, breweries such as Changzhong and Guangzhao have incorporated herbal ingredients like wolfberry, codonopsis, and red dates, further enhancing the wine’s health benefits. Liuji Yellow Wine is increasingly loved by locals, and its influence continues to grow. It is now available in cities such as Zhengzhou, Beijing, and Guangzhou, solidifying its status as a traditional and distinctive industry of the town.