The Yellowness Given by Brewing Techniques

As a result of their brewing techniques, wines brewed with grain, especially wheat, as yeast will turn 'yellow', then gradually to brown or filemot as they are stored longer. Current data indicate that the word 'yellow' first appeared in the names of wines during the Ming Dynasty. However, we may trace their origin farther back to the expression 'yellow liquid' in a line in the Book of Poems-- `In the shinning jade goblet, there is yellow liquid'. Of the various interpretations of 'yellow liquid', there is one, saying that, in remote antiquity, tulips were steeped in wine made from dark millet, which gave the latter a unique aroma and a yellowish color. Therefore, over a long period in ancient times, 'Yellow Rice Wine' was a term referring to Rice Wine featuring a longer brewing time and a darker color, rather than a common name for wines made of grains. As written in Tips for Health Preservation Offered on Monthly Basis (Yang Yu Yue Ling) by Dai Xi in the Ming Dynasty, 'If mixed with a little spirit, then yellow rice wine or white wine will not turn sour overnight." From this it can be seen that, even in the Ming Dynasty when Shaoxing yellow rice wine was enjoying a period of considerable prosperity, 'yellow rice wine' had a relatively narrow reference, or in other words, it was not a common name for a fairly wide range of beverages. Investigations have revealed that, in a certain degree, `yellow rice wine' had referred to darker wines which had been fermented and stored longer, and hence had a different meaning from what it means today, whereas 'white wine' referred to yellow rice wine brewed for a shorter time using rice as saccharifying leaven, which were similar to yellow rice wine commonly seen in households in South China, or fresh wine brewed of glutinous rice in rich families. Because of its relatively shorter brewing time, the 'white wine' was nearly white in color, resembling rice slurry.n novels, movies and TV series involving martial arts, the white wines drunk by heroes and swordsmen from large jars fall mostly in this category. Being brewed with saccharifying enzyme, these tasteful white wines were fairly low in alcohol content and thus could be toped. Otherwise Wu Song would never have survived the tiger at Jingyang Ridge if he had gulped down several bowls of high-alcohol-content liquor. And the legend would never have happened. As it is known to all, `Chinese yeast' (or jiuyao) is a unique saccharifying leaven, as well as a fine preservation agent for wine-brewing bacteria. It is essential for the production of yellow rice wine. However, it might be few people's knowledge that the yeast for yellow rice wine must be made after the rainy plum season is over, when the enzymes propagate really fast. Improper timing for yeast making may have immense effects on the quality of yellow rice wine produced. During the Qing Dynasty, Shaoxing yellow rice wine enjoyed great popularity across China. Because of its relativity dark turquoise or ember color, there had been a consensus of opinions on the term of 'yellow rice wine', which had gradually became a common name for wine made of grains. It was in the Qing Dynasty that Shaoxing yellow rice wine reached its heyday. It is said that the Qing emperors had developed a special liking for Shaoxing yellow rice wine, which could be best proved by a record which writes, In the Qing Dynasty, spirits is banned, but not yellow rice wine.' Three reasons may have accounted for this exemption: first, yellow rice wine consumes less grain than spirits; second, the Qing emperors had a weakness for the former; and third, being mild, yellow rice wine does help to keep fit. In the Republic of China (1911-1949), 'yellow rice wine' had basically become a general name for wines made of grains.