According to Wang Jinjin, a national first-class winemaker and wine taster, the ancient methods are laborious but produce better tasting wine than modern means.

“Using the former method requires the rice to be first placed into vats to ferment for the entire winter and early spring. Following this, the fermented rice needs to be pressed, filtered, pasteurized and aged before being bottled for sales around the world,” Wang said.

Wang added that another reason why huangjiu from Shaoxing is considered the best in China is because of the water used in the crafting process.

Jianhu Lake, the main source of water used to make the wine in the city, is fed by 36 streams formed by high-quality mountain springs, and the lake’s water is more conducive to yeast fermentation, he said.

For locals, huangjiu, which is known for its distinctive amber color and rich taste, is more than an alcoholic beverage for casual drinking. The aromatic spirit, which is aged in earthenware vats, sometimes for decades, is usually reserved for special occasions.

The locals would traditionally age the wine in their cellars in preparation for future celebrations like the birth of a new child and weddings. Huangjiu drunk during a daughter’s wedding banquet is called nyuerhong, or “daughter red”, while those reserved to celebrate a son’s graduation from college is called zhuangyuanhong, or “scholar red”.

The technique of crafting floral motifs on bottles, which is called huadiao in Shaoxing, has also been listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage item. The motifs found on wine bottles vary according to the occasion.

Douglas Christopher Dueno, a foreign expert at China Daily Website, described jars that are designed uniquely for a person and special occasions as “extraordinary”, saying that he can imagine the happiness and excitement of people when they retrieve the jars that they had buried ages ago.