Famous Waters and Fine Wines

Famous Waters and Fine Wines

　　Since ancient times, good water has been essential for brewing fine wine. The northern Shaanxi liquor industry benefits from renowned springs and excellent water sources, producing liquors that enjoy considerable fame. The Meishui Distillery in Ganquan County, hailed as the "Hometown of Fine Water," uses water from the "Meishui Spring"—a spring documented as the water source for the imperial courts of the Sui and Tang dynasties—to brew its products. It has developed a series of "Sui-Tang Jade Liquor" products—Sui-Tang Jade Liquor, Sui-Tang Tribute Wine, Sui-Tang Banquet Wine, etc.—which are clear and transparent in color, sweet and mellow in taste, with a long-lasting aftertaste and unique flavor. These liquors have won numerous awards and are among Shaanxi’s famous liquors, earning the title "Maotai of Northern Shaanxi." The products sell well in the northwestern market and are a top choice for banquets, gifts, and travel souvenirs. The Diantou Distillery in Huangling County uses the clear and sweet water from an ancient well at the corner of Diantou Town to brew its liquor. This well was already famous as early as the Ming Dynasty, when people wrote poetry about it: "The corner well of Diantou, its water is remarkably clear and cool. Drawn to brew fine liquor, its fragrance intoxicates passersby." The corner well liquor was immensely popular in its time. The distillery has continuously improved upon the original brewing techniques to develop the "Xuanyuan Brand" series of products. These have a rich cellar aroma, are mellow and clean on the palate, and share the characteristics of Maotai—being low in alcohol but not weak in flavor, with a long-lasting aftertaste. Overseas Chinese who came to worship their ancestors praised it as the "Little Maotai of the North." It is the essential libation used in the annual ceremonies to honor the Yellow Emperor’s Mausoleum in Huangling County and enjoys fame both at home and abroad. It once won the Gold Award at the National "Spark Program" Achievements Expo. (Yan’an)