Chinese+Food

__ Chinese Wine __ - Tyler **
 * Chinese Food

Wine in China was a cultural drink and was very popular to rich people and middle class citizens. There are three things that made wine in Ancient China stick out from all the other drinks. It was a very cultural drink because of how it was made, where it was made and who drank it.

Making wine in China was a long but easy set of steps. In order to take out the juices from grapes the Chinese farmers harvested, they had to place them in a wooden bowl. The second step was “to press the grapes in the wooden tub by stepping on them with their feet” was unhealthy; however, the alcohol in the wine killed all the bacteria so typically they had nothing to worry about. The tub would be filled with holes on the bottom, which would drain the juice from the grapes into storage cases like clay pots. Once the juice was in the clay pots other ingredients were added and the pot was left to sit and turn into wine. (Ancient Wine)

Wine in Ancient China was thought to be made in the “Henan Province where grapes were made or transported to that region.” The people of the local villages would receive these grapes, make the wine, and let it sit. It was also produced in Eastern China and was then carried and traded to the rest of central and Western China. Archeologists found wine in pieces of clay pots and in graves of the wealthy Chinese dead. Rice wine was also popular in the Henan Province and was made with rice. (Wine Production in China)

“Wine permeates to every field of life” and the wealthy were the purchasers of the majority of the wine in China. Wine was expensive and the rich merchants or landowners would store large amounts to serve at parties or special occasions. Generals or Emperors of China would serve wine at their fancy dinner parties or social events to the guests to make them look good. Wine had alcohol in it and was used to extract information from important officials or to bribe people into telling important information. Spy’s would use these tricks as would clever merchants who wanted to know whom they could trust and whom they couldn’t. Once in awhile poor farmers would also obtain wine and and also the peasants who made it. It was also accustom to bring wine to someone’s house when you would visit. (Culture of China)

"Technology and Science." __Hints of 9,000-year-old wine found in China__. 19 Mar. 2009 . http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://

"Confessions of a Chinese Wine Consultant." __CatoVino__. 19 Mar. 2009 . http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http:__//


 * "Ancient Chinese Wine." __Ancient/Classical History__. 19 Mar. 2009 .
 * "Wine Production." __Wine Production in China__. 19 Mar. 2009 .
 * "Oldest Wine." __Ancient Wine in China__. 19 Mar. 2009 .




 * Joey- Excused**