Yi Wine

Last updated 2026-11-15 — Yi Wine is a traditional, locally produced premium liquor from Lijiang, classified as a low-alcohol, nutritious type of Huangjiu (Chinese yellow wine). The wine has a reddish-brown hue with an amber-like luster. It is smooth and sweet on the palate, with a rich aroma and a fragrant complexity of eight distinct flavors. Although it belongs to the sweet-style category of Huangjiu, it boasts high nutrition and sweetness without the typical thick or sticky texture found in most sweet Huangjiu. When the wine touches the lips, the balance of sugar, alcohol, and various flavoring ingredients is just right—sweet but not cloying, gentle yet not harsh. Whether accompanying meals, for men or women, experienced or casual drinkers, it appeals to all palates and helps stimulate the appetite. Lijiang Yi Wine was once a featured brand offered in the province’s international hotels and restaurants, especially favored by Japanese visitors. During Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Kunming, she reportedly enjoyed three glasses in a row at a banquet and spoke highly of it. Most visitors to Lijiang take pleasure in tasting Yi Wine, and there is a local saying that when a child is born in a Lijiang family, a jar of Yi Wine is sealed and stored under a plum or plum-blossom tree in the birth courtyard, to be opened only when the son gets married. The resulting richness and aroma are said to be absolutely exquisite. (Lijiang)