Jiahe Daogang Wine

Jiahe Daogang Wine

　　Jiahe Daogang Wine is brewed from glutinous rice and rice mountain rice. It has a strong aftertaste but does not cause a hangover. Bamboo Aroma Wine boasts a rich bamboo fragrance and comes in bamboo tube packaging, making it an excellent gift choice. (Chenzhou)

　　Jiahe Daogang Wine

　　“Jiahe Daogang

　　Wine with a fine aroma.” This was the inscription left by General Cao Lihuai, former Deputy Commander of the Air Force and member of the Central Advisory Commission, after tasting Jiahe Daogang Wine and praising the local “Daogang Wine.” The history of folk winemaking in Jiahe dates back a long time. Ancient relics unearthed within the county, including pottery wine jars, tripod feet from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and pottery wine vessels from the Han Dynasty, indicate that the local tradition of winemaking can be traced back to the Eastern Zhou and Han periods. Among types of brewed liquor, Jiahe Shujiu falls under the semi-dry yellow wine category. Its production process is as follows: first, high-quality glutinous rice is washed and steamed, then mixed with medicinal yeast to turn into sweet mash. Water is added in proportion, and after several days of storage, the result is Jiahe Shujiu — a clear, mellow-flavored wine. Due to temperature factors, wine brewed around the Winter Solstice tends to have a clearer color, richer taste, and higher conversion rate of mash into alcohol. Therefore, every year around the “Winter Solstice,” households brew glutinous rice wine, only opening the jars to drink it during the “Spring Festival.” “Winter Solstice wine — so good you’ll scoop it out by the handful.” The people of Jiahe love drinking Jiahe Shujiu. Many farming households not only brew wine for the New Year but also make it year-round for their own enjoyment.

　　Daogang Wine is brewed by improving upon the traditional techniques used to make Jiahe Shujiu. Specifically, it involves pouring distilled liquor or Shujiu into unsweetened mash that hasn’t been diluted with water. After a few days, the fragrance of the wine fills the jar, and when tasted, it proves to be exceptionally delicious. Because this wine is made by pouring distilled liquor or Shujiu into the mash jar during brewing, it is called “Daogang Wine” (literally “poured-jar wine”). While this traditional Daogang Wine is sweet and mellow in flavor, it has a relatively low alcohol content, limited shelf life, and is influenced by seasonal factors — making late autumn to early winter the best period for brewing, which restricts production. To address this, Jiahe Winery began planning to develop a new product — Daogang Wine — starting in 1985. In 1988, technical experts focused specifically on research and development. Building on traditional methods and adopting modern advanced brewing technology, it took three years until 1990 to produce the new product “Jiahe Daogang Wine,” which went into mass production in 1991. Producing this new product involves

　　20

　　plus production steps. The wine has a brownish-yellow hue, a rich aroma, a smooth taste, an alcohol content of about 22 degrees, and a sugar content (based on glucose syrup)

　　of over 15. It is classified as a low-alcohol sweet nutritional wine. Scientific tests show it contains over 22 types of essential amino acids needed by the human body, as well as various vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates required for health. Its nutritional content is five times that of beer, offering nourishing and body-strengthening benefits. Since its launch, Jiahe Daogang Wine has been highly favored by consumers, especially those in Shenzhen. General Xiao Ke, former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Standing Committee member of the Central Advisory Commission, praised it by saying, “The water is sweet from our hometown, but the wine — Daogang is the best.”

　　In 1991, Jiahe Daogang Wine passed provincial technical evaluation and was listed as a provincial new product. In October of the same year, it won the “Outstanding New Product” award at the China Food Industry’s 10-Year Achievements Exhibition (1981–1990). In 1992, it received the Second Prize for “Technological New Product” from the Hunan Provincial Light Industry Department. In 1994, it was awarded the Silver Medal at the 5th Asia-Pacific International Expo.