Taidiao Jiu

Many tourists who have been to Shaoxing like to drink the sweet Taidiao Jiu. Thus, Taidiao Jiu has become a representative of Shaoxing Jiu in the minds of many people. And a lot of friends ever asked me whether all kinds of Shaoxing Huangjiu are sweet. What kind of Huangjiu does Taidiao Jiu belong to?

Every time I ask friends in Shaoxing about this question, many professionals of Huangjiu will laugh and say, [How can Taidiao Jiu be the representative of Shaoxing Jiu? Only people who can`t drink or have no ear for wine will be fond of Taidiao Jiu. The real representative of Shaoxing Jiu is Jiafan Jiu."

As a Shaoxing native, although I always watched my grandfather make wine and even ate the sweet fermented glutinous rice in the wine jar furtively when I was a child, I am also a "layman" of Huangjiu by comparing with people who really know Huangjiu or are fond of drink Huangjiu. The tasting ability is also considered "naive" by my friends. Because as those foreign tourists mentioned before, I also like to drink sweet wine and eat sweet fermented glutinous rice.

Then what`s the difference between sweet wine and unsweetened wine? Is sugar added to sweet wine? I bet that many people are also curious about this issue. Because most of the Yuanhong Jiu and Jiafan Jiu (Huadiao Jiu) in the market are not sweet. They are called "dry" Huangjiu and [semi-dry" Huangjiu respectively from a professional standpoint. As wine can be divided into dry wine and sweet wine, Huangjiu also have different types. To be specific, according to the sugar content, Huangjiu can be divided into four types, namely, dry Huangjiu, semi-dry Huangjiu, semi-sweet Huangjiu and sweet Huangjiu. Yuanhong, Jiafan, Shanniang and Xiangxue Jiu are the typical representatives of these four kinds of Huangjiu in Shaoxing. Among them, Yuanhong Jiu and Jiafan Jiu can be classified as dry Huangjiu, while Shanniang Jiu and Xiangxue Jiu can be classified as sweet Huangjiu.

Why is Taidiao Jiu not listed into the four types of wine? Does it belong to Shanniang Jiu or Xiangxue Jiu? With the problem in hand, I consulted Qian bin, a provincial brewing master and the director of Gu Yue Long Shan Quality and Technology Center. And he replied with a smile, [Taidiao Jiu is actually a kind of wine mixed by the aged Jiafan (Huadiao) Jiu, sweet wine and semi-sweet wine. And Taidiao Jiu can also be called blending wine. What does it come from? This kind of wine may be the invention of the people who like drinking. They think that the mix of sweet Xiangxue Jiu and Jiafan Jiu tastes good, so winemakers produce Taidiao Jiu according to the needs of customers. Thus, Taidiao Jiu can also be called the "cocktail" in Shaoxing Huangjiu. It is worth mentioning that "Diao" is the name of superior wine in Shaoxing Jiu, which is how the name [Taidiao" developed.

The question goes back to what`s the difference between dry Huangjiu and sweet Huangjiu? In this regard, director Qian bin said that they are different in brewing technology. The fermentation of Huangjiu is complex. Starch saccharification and alcohol fermentation are carried out at the same time. The saccharification reaction which dissolves starch into sugar begins after winemakers steam and mix the glutinous rice which is the raw material of Huangjiu, and add yeast into the glutinous rice. Deserved to be mentioned, our favorite sweet fermented glutinous rice is the result of the saccharification reaction. And the sugar which is dissolved from starch is mixed with yeast and be further dissolved into alcohol. In this process, saccharification and fermentation are carried out simultaneously, so it is called bilateral fermentation. The longer the fermentation, the less sugar in the fermented mash, so wine become dry.

Then why do Shanniang Jiu and Xiangxue Jiu taste sweet? In the process of brewing Shanniang Jiu, instead of water, some aged Yuanhong Jiu is added. And because there is some alcohol in Yuanhong Jiu, the reproduction and growth of yeast is limited to some extent, and the sugar dissolved from starch could not be fully utilized by yeast. Therefore, more sugar is retained in the mash after fermentation. In the process of brewing Xiangxue Jiu, Zaoshao Jiu which owns a higher alcohol content is added and thus the yeast fermentation is limited to a greater extent. Therefore, the wine tastes sweeter.

Many [laymen" of Huangjiu like to drink sweet Taidiao Jiu or Xiangxue Jiu. However, director Qian bin reminded us that the preservation of sweet wine is difficult. The color of sweet wine will become dark easily and the wine will taste bitter after the long-term storage. That` why we don`t promote sweet wine in the market energetically. Inversely, Jiafan Jiu, as a kind of dry Huangjiu, can be stored for a long time, and its flavor and taste will be improved as the years roll on. Therefore, if you buy sweet wine, you should drink it as early as possible.