At the 2025 Chishui River Forum held in Maotai Town from October 28 to 29 under the theme "Harmony Between Heaven and Earth," Fu Zukang, Vice Chairman of Kuaijishan Shaoxing Rice Wine Co., Ltd., highlighted that Chinese yellow rice wine is an indispensable category among the world's fine alcoholic beverages and one of the three oldest wine varieties globally.
However, awareness and understanding of yellow rice wine remain limited both domestically and internationally. Fu noted that in recent years, Kuaijishan has been continuously innovating and reforming.
He mentioned that this year, Kuaijishan introduced a secondary fermentation process to create bubbles in its yellow rice wine, similar to champagne production techniques. This innovation has gained popularity among younger consumers and significantly boosted recognition for the modernization of this ancient beverage.
Simultaneously, Kuaijishan has been moving into the premium market segment. For instance, the company developed the cultural concept behind its "Lanting" brand, inspired by Wang Xizhi's legendary calligraphy masterpiece "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion," written in Shaoxing. This approach has helped establish nationwide prestige for the brand.
Furthermore, premium yellow rice wine serves as an excellent culinary companion. Fu explained that the warm nature of yellow rice wine makes it a perfect match for seasonal hairy crab. In coastal regions abundant with seafood, the wine's warmth also ideally balances the cooling properties of marine delicacies.
Regarding international expansion, Japan remains a traditional market for yellow rice wine consumption. "When Chinese alcohol is mentioned in Japan, people typically think of our Shaoxing yellow rice wine," Fu said. Efforts are also underway to promote the product in Western markets, where its low alcohol content and similarity to wine facilitate higher acceptance.
Fu added that yellow rice wine plays a significant role as a cooking wine, enhancing flavors and removing fishy tastes, with substantial market potential in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia.
Comments