Popular local wine boasts a 300-year history
Print Edition
MANY people living south of the Yangtze River love to drink yellow rice wine. However, older people in Jiading prefer locally brewed Yujinxiang wine with its rich history and herbal flavors.
Historical records of Nanxiang Town recorded a poem by Zhang Pengchong in which Yujinxiang wine is mentioned. Zhang, born in Nanxiang, was an official in the Kangxi period (1654-1722) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It can be seen that Yujinxiang wine has a history of at least 300 years.
According to the records, the wine was invented by a doctor rather than a brewer. The mother of the doctor was weak so he made the herbal wine with the best glutinous rice. His mother lived to over 80 years of age after drinking the wine, which was said to be beneficial to respiratory, digestive and blood circulation systems.
Wang Wenshao, a finance minister in the Guangxu period (1871-1908) of the Qing Dynasty, opened a brewery workshop in Nanxiang, and named the wine Yujinxiang after days of brainstorming by scholars in the area. They got the name from a poem by Li Bai (AD 701-762), one of the most famous poets in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).
In 1937, Yujinxiang wine received a gold medal at the World Expo held in Leipzig, Germany, marking a highlight in the history of Yujinxiang wine.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Yujinxiang wine lost its market share due to the high cost of the raw materials, poor marketing and a relocation of the factory. However, the wine from Jiading has made a comeback despite the ups and downs.
Yujinxiang wine was brewed again in Jiading in 2008, 12 years after the Jiading Brewery closed due to renovation in Jiading Old Town in 1996.
In 2009 the traditional skill to brew Yujinxiang wine was listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Shanghai, and Jin Huiguo, the operator of Yujinxiang Brew Co Ltd, inherited the process.
In 2014, Yujinxiang wine was listed as a time-honored brand in Shanghai.
Last year Yujinxiang wine witnessed sales of 500 tons, the highest on record.
To make the wine, winemakers use the best glutinous rice produced in Jiading’s neighboring Jiangsu Province.
And the wine can only be purely brewed after more than 10 working procedures as well as a fermentation period of around 90 days.
The most difficult part in the manufacturing process is the accurate timing of the procedures, dependent on the experience of the brewer. Only those with many years of experience can handle the procedures successfully.
What goes into Yujinxiang wine is also critical. The water comes from mountainous Yixing also in Jiangsu. To the wine, brewers must add 21 herbs, including earthnut of curcuma and crocus sativus, with the latter needing to be immersed in yellow rice wine while the former needs to be immersed in stronger liquor in order to produce the perfect flavor.
“It’s a medicinal wine with dark amber light. After opening the bottle, you will sense an exotic fragrance by your nose, and mellow yet slightly sweet when swallowing into mouth. An elegant fragrance pervades with nice aftertaste. Even people who don’t drink wine like the faint scent,” Shanghai author Zhao Lihong wrote in a book after drinking Yujinxiang wine.
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