White Dew Rice Wine

White Dew Rice Wine

　　Zixing Specialty – White Dew Rice Wine

　　The Xingning, Sandu, and Liaojian areas of Zixing have long had a tradition of brewing wine. Every year when the White Dew solar term arrives, every household brews wine, and “local wine” is a must to serve guests. This wine is warm in nature, slightly sweet, and is called “White Dew Rice Wine.” The finest variety of White Dew Rice Wine is “Cheng Wine,” named after being brewed with water from the Cheng River. Cheng Wine was historically an imperial tribute wine, renowned far and wide. The Commentary on the Water Classic records: “There is Lushui in Chenzhou County, which originates from the northwest of Hougong Mountain east of the county, flows southward and bends into the Lei River, known as the Chengshui Stream. The commandery set up a winery at the foot of the mountain to brew wine, called ‘Cheng Wine,’ also offered as tribute.” Both Lushui and Qing Wine were legendary fine wines. The Book of Jin · Annals of Emperor Wu states: “Qing and Lushui were presented in the Imperial Ancestral Temple,” showing that Cheng Wine was considered comparable to them. The Nine Regions Chronicles also say: “Chengshui is located in present-day Xingning County, Chenzhou. Its source comes from Chengxiang. Wine made with this water is called ‘Cheng Wine,’ distinct from other wines.” Chengxiang refers to the area around present-day Sandu and Liaojian. Zixing was called Xingning from the Southern Song Dynasty to the early years of the Republic of China, hence the reference to Xingning County in Chenzhou.

　　The brewing of White Dew Rice Wine involves particular attention not only to the water source and choice of solar term but also to quite unique methods. First, white liquor (commonly called “local distilled spirit”) and glutinous rice mash wine are brewed, then mixed in a 1:3 ratio, with the white liquor poured into the mash wine and stored in jars for drinking. To make Cheng Wine, an appropriate amount of shaizi water (made by boiling shaizi grains in water) must be added, then sealed in jars and buried underground or stored in cellars, or even buried in fresh cow pen mud, to be retrieved and consumed after several years or even decades. Cheng Wine buried for decades takes on a brownish-red hue, pours with fine threads, is easy on the palate, fragrant, and has a very strong aftereffect. The Xingning County Annals compiled in the first year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1875) states: “Its color is jade-green, its taste mellow, growing more fragrant with age,” and “it can be aged for a thousand days, and will still intoxicate upon reaching home.”

　　The Commentary on the Water Classic also records that during the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, the literary figure Ren Fang once chatted with his friend Liu Yao. Ren Fang said to Liu Yao: “Is it true that there is wine that can travel a thousand li?” Liu Yao replied: “In Chengxiang, Guiyang, there is a wine that can travel a thousand li—one drinks it and only sobers up upon arriving home, which is another example.” During the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, Xingning was under the jurisdiction of Guiyang Commandery. Nowadays, Cheng Wine is generally not available and is only brought out by hosts for weddings, celebrations, or to entertain distinguished guests. To revive this historically renowned wine, the SanDu Town Neighborhood Committee is making preparations to produce “Cheng Wine” on a larger scale.