Documentary photograph by N509FZ, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.Shaoxing City
East China · Zhejiang
Shaoxing Wine, Brewed Like Weather
Rice, wheat qu, canal water, and jars sealed to be opened decades later
A rice wine brewed on a seasonal calendar — brewing in winter, drawing in spring, sealing in summer — and aged in sealed jars until the same vintage becomes a different drink entirely.
- amber
- sealed jar
- patience
Spring
First press of the new brew
Spring pressing draws the winter brew clear; the wine streets smell of fresh rice and wet stone.