Rare Black Rice Wine

Rare Black Rice Wine

　　Rare Black Rice Wine is produced at the foot of the Qinling Mountains in Yang County, Shaanxi Province. It is a renowned local specialty beverage from Yang County and the Qinba Mountain region.

Yang County, anciently known as Yangzhou, was established as a county during the Western Wei Dynasty. Located in the eastern part of the Hanzhong Basin, it borders the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Bashan Mountains to the south. The area boasts abundant natural resources, and it is also the burial place of Cai Lun, the Eastern Han Dynasty inventor of papermaking. With its picturesque landscapes and talented people, it is no wonder that fine wines are produced here. The “Three Fine Brews of Yangzhou” enjoy great renown across the Shaanxi region. Qin-Yang Special Liquor, Chinese Kiwifruit Wine, and Xiecun Yellow Wine are all famous local products of Yang County, esteemed as Shaanxi’s regional liquors, well-known both within and beyond the province, and popular both domestically and internationally. In recent years, the newly produced “Rare Black Rice Wine” has emerged as a rising star.

The specialty black glutinous rice of Yang County is said to have been cultivated by Zhang Qian of the Western Han Dynasty. It is not only prized for its unique color and enticing aroma, but also well known for its nourishing and medicinal properties. The eminent Ming Dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen recorded in his Compendium of Materia Medica that black rice “nourishes yin and kidney, strengthens the spleen and warms the liver, improves vision and invigorates blood circulation,” and is used to treat “throat bi syndrome, regulate qi, relieve bone joint wind, paralysis and hemiplegia, and premature greying of hair in youth.” Due to its rarity and preciousness, it is called the “black pearl.” Historical records show that since the Western Han Dynasty, it has been an imperial tribute through successive dynasties.