Yellow Wine (huang jiu) 黄酒

This is the umbrella term for fermented, non-distilled grain based wine. It is one of the world’s most ancient alcoholic beverages, enjoying at least 6,000 years of history in China. 

The name ‘yellow wine’ does not do justice to the range of colours found in grain wines. The various types of grains and range of different jiu qu used in making yellow wines result in a wide range of colours, from light yellow to amber, brick orange, brown and maroon, while tastes vary all the way from sweet through to semi-sweet, semi-dry and dry. 

Huang jiu is made from a variety of grains. It typically ranges from 12 to 20 per cent alcohol by volume and can age very well. It also has significant nutritional and medicinal values as it contains slow-releasing sugars and is rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals. 

 Excerpt from The Chinese Wine Renaissance: A Wine Lover’s Companion.