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A yellow rice wine brewing workshop in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Residents of Shaoxing, Zhejiang province have recently begun brewing yellow rice wine, Tide News reported on Sept 17.

In Nancun village, Dongpu subdistrict, Wu Xinggang, a fourth-generation wine brewer, performed the 89th-generation jiuyao inoculation, signaling the start of this year's fermentation season.

Brewing yellow rice wine follows a time-honored process recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage item. It adheres to a precise rhythm: jiuyao is crafted during the summer, while the brewing kicks off at the start of winter. The process involves 222 detailed steps over the course of 280 days, turning rice into wine drop by drop.

Summer's heat and humidity make it the perfect season for cultivating jiuyao, the essential fermentation agent used in Chinese winemaking. The high microbial activity during this period plays a key role in shaping the wine’s distinct flavor. "Jiuyao is the backbone of our entire brew," Wu notes, "and its quality can make or break the batch."

The jiuyao production method has been passed down through generations using a time-tested inoculation process. Aged jiuyao is blended with new starters, preserving superior microbial strains while refining the brew year after year. This process not only ensures consistency in the wine's quality but also keeps the rich tradition of winemaking alive — one batch at a time, vintage after vintage.