The Comparison of Wine Culture between Chinese and Western

The Comparison of Wine Culture between Chinese and WesternAbstractOwing to the differences of cultures, wine plays different roles in Chinese people and westerners. Based on others’ researches, this article mainly makes comparisons of wine culture between Chinese and western. It contains several aspects as differences of selection on materials to make wine, differences of processes, differences of drinking vessels, differences of purposes of drinking and differences of drinking ceremonies. It follows that wine culture between Chinese and western has prodigious differences but wine is an essential part in Chinese and westerners’lives. Especially, wine culture is an essential part of Chinese and western cultures and has traditional characteristics. As the constant communications between Chinese people and westerners, wine culture becomes an essential part of communications. Therefore, it is beneficial to undertake cross-cultural communications to have profound understandings on Chinese and western wine cultures.Key words: wine culture making wine etiquetteContentsChapter 1 Introduction (3)Chapter 2 The Comparison of Material Selection (5)2.1 Chinese Wine Materials (5)2.2 Western Wine Materials (5)Chapter 3 The Comparison of Wine Brewing (7)3.1 Chinese Wine Brewing (7)3.2 Western Wine Brewing (8)Chapter 4 The Comparison of Wine Culture (10)4.1 Container or Drinking Vessel (10)4.1.1 Chinese Container or Drinking Vessel (10)4.1.2 Western Container or Drinking Vessel (11)4.2 Purpose of Drinking Wine (12)4.2.1 Chinese Purpose of Drinking Wine (12)4.2.2 Western Purpose of Drinking Wine (13)4.3 Wine Etiquette (15)4.3.1 Chinese Wine Etiquette (15)4.3.2 Western Wine Etiquette (17)Chapter 5 Conclusion (19)Bibliography (20)Acknowledgements (21)The Comparison of wine culture between Chinese and WesternChapter 1 IntroductionWine plays an important role in human beings’daily communications. No matter holiday celebration, parities for relatives and friends or meeting of national leading figures, it cannot separate with wine. At all times and in all over the world, wine has permeated in social life, including politics, economy, literature, art, diet and health promotion and so on. It follows that in the long historical process of human cultures, wine does not only exist as a kind of substance but is a kind of cultural symbol. Following with the development of human civilization, it constantly forms unique culture---wine culture.“Wine culture is the summation of material phenomenon (incl udes technologies), mental phenomenon (includes sociology and psychology) and customs related to wine. The origin, production, circulation and consumption, especially the social cultural functions of wine as well as social problems brought by wine and othe r phenomenon belong to wine culture and related domain.” As a kind of carrier of cultures, wine is same with cultures. It takes up different and extraordinary national characteristics in Chinese and western because of the differences of historical backgrounds, living environments, religious faiths, manners and customs and thinking models.The phrase “wine culture” was put forward by famous economist Yu Guangyuan professor in 1987. Later, in Sublime charm---Chinese wine culture, Xiao Jiacheng put forward the connotation and extension of the concept of wine culture. Wine culture is a summation of material, skilled, psychological, consuetudinary, mental and behavioral phenomenon focused on the center of wine. Making a general survey of the histories of Chinese and western wine cultures, wine not only appears as physical forms but also permeates in religions, customs, manners, military affairs, politics and literature and other aspects and appears as mental andcultural state. No matter in Chinese or in western, wine culture plays an important role in human lives.Chapter 2 A Comparison of Material SelectionIn materials and categories of wine, the most special and famous is millet wine and distilled spirit made by grain, which are called grain wine customarily.2.1 Chinese Wine MaterialsChina has large district, moderate climate and much fertile farmland and soil, which is suitable for the farming of crops. The development of agriculture is rapid and China has become a leading power in agriculture. The grain output is huge and there are various categories. People use a great quantity of grain to brew distilled spirit and millet wine with Chinese characteristics. Before the Song Dynasty, the center of Chinese politics, economy and culture is the valley of the Yellow River and wine materials are mainly wheat, broomcorn and millet and others produced in the North. Since the Song Dynasty, the southern economy develops rapidly and the center of Chinese politics and economy transfers to the South and wine materials are mainly rice produced in River South and other regions. If divides wine into brewed wine, liquor and blending wine, in Chinese history, millet wine belonged to brewed wine and white spirit belonged to liquor use miscellaneous grains and liqueur and medicinal liquor belonged to blending wine take millet wine or white spirit as substratum of spirit. They all cannot be separated with grain.2.2 Western Wine MaterialsThe most special and famous wines in western are grape wine and brandy made by grapes, which is called wine by a joint name. Western countries focus on animalhusbandry or business and agriculture is supplement. The climate and soil in many places are not suitable for the growth of many crops but benefit for the growth of grapes, which makes that the quality and quantity of grapes are second to none and thus people can largely make wine. Take ancient Greek that is called the cradle of western civilization for an instance, it is located in the south of the Balkan Peninsula and surrounded by sea on three sides. Its churchyard spread all over mountains and islands and a large part of regions are barren sloping fields. The climate is Mediterranean and warm and more rain in winter and hot arid in summer and rivers dry up in summer. This kind of natural conditions is not benefit for common crops’ growth and many crops are difficult to survive. But grapes have strong drought-enduring ability and thus the Greeks begin to cultivate grapes. In addition, most of the creams that form the quality of wine exist in the mineral substances in deep soil and fertile surface soil can make it easy for vines to survive. If the roots are not in depth of soil, it cannot yield high quality grapes. Vines, growing in relatively barren soil, yield high quality fruits because that their roots are in the depth of soil. Among various wines in the western, the most special and famous wines are wine belonged to brewed wine and brandy belonged to liquor. What they use are almost absolutely grapes. Aperitif, liqueur and cocktail belonged to blending wine are mostly taking wine as their substratum of spirit and dessert wine belongs to reinforced wine. In ancient Greek, wines and Florence oil becomes its major economic lifeline. A scholar says: “The civiliz ation of Athens establishes on wine and Florence oil.” (Zhao Yanping 19) From powers on production of brewed wine, around the year of 1994, Italy had 1.1 million hectare farmland to plant grape and produced more than 9 million tons, ranking the second in the world. France is in the leading position on the output of wine. The total output was more than 50 million tons in 1996, occupying an important position in the whole producing of liquors.Chapter 3 The Comparison of Wine Brewing3.1 Chinese Wine BrewingIn the wine brewing process, wine in China is made of raw materials such as grains, water and distiller’s yeast. It is necessary to unify the three materials. There are three methods in wine brewing: the solid-fermentation, half solid-fermentation and double fermentation. Being solid, the grains can not be directly fermented. Mixed with water and distiller’s yeast, they must be steeped and cooked before fermented. The creative labor plays a leading role in this process. There is an old Chinese saying that materials are the meat of the wine and water is the blood of the wine. Chinese people pay particular attention to the wine brewing process.In the process of wine brewing, the first important is the raw materials. The long-term practices show that grains play a very important role in the category and quality of the wine. For example, if the yellow wine is made of the sticky rice, it will be heavy and quality. If the White Wine is made of the broomcorn, it will be tasty with bouquet and a high alcoholic strength and liquor yield. The White Wind will be sweet with the corn, pure with the rice and heavy with the barley. In addition, it can be found that choosing the local specialty as the raw material for brewing is the key to brew the vintage wine with special local flavors. For example, Lang Wine in the Gulin, Sichuan province, its raw material is the local broomcorn which has thin skin, shell-less and full particles. Thus, it can brew the quality wine.The second important is the water. “The good wine needs fine water.” The quality of water can directly influence the flavor and quality of the wine. During the brewing process, people pay more attention to the property and flavor of the water and choose the beast water. In modern times, as for Shaoxing rice wine, water in the center of Jianhu Lake is used to brew the wine because the water is clearand moderate with suitable salt. It is the best water for wine brewing. The Chinese vintage wine such as Maotai, Lang Wine and Lu Zhou Lao Jiao can not separate from the water in the Chishui river and the sweet and cool spring water besides the river.The third important is the distiller’s yeast, which contains plenty of lively microorganism and enzymes. It can not only saccharify the fermentation but endow the wine with special flavor and quality. It is native to Chinese wine brewing. According to the Heavenly Creations by Song Yingxing, in Ming Dynasty, there is a saying that “the distiller’s yeast is very important for wine brewing but without it is impossible to brew the good wine even though there are quality grains.” Qi Min Yao Su, the first Chinese book about agriculture,records that “July is the best time to make the distiller’s yeast when children with black cloth knead and unfold the distiller’s yeast.”(C hang and Guo 66).Earlier about two thousand years ago in Song Dynasty, people had systematically summarized six principles to brew wine: plump rice, at proper time to gather the distiller’s yeast, cleanly steeping and cooking, quality water, proper degree of heating, using various grains.” With high level of craftsmanship, Chine wine brewing has produced many vintage wines and each vintage wine has its own ingeniousness. For example, there is a Chinese proverb about Lang Wine that “Lang Wine’s success depends on the beautiful context, quality spring water, cavity and great workmanship.” The exquisite craftwork lies in adding the material for twice, diastatic fermentation for eight times, being stewed for nine times and seven times distillation. The raw wine should be kept in the cave from three years before selling. However, however different the workmanship on wine brewing is, it can not separate from steeping, stewing and multiple adding materials with the solid-fermentation or half solid-fermentation.3.2 Western Wine BrewingThe western countries are famous for their grape wine and beer. Some historians think that the grape and beer had been made firstly by the westerners in the world. the western wine brewing pays more attention to the material quality, taking the wine brewing tool such as buckets and cellar as the effective ensure for the wine brewing. They take the liquid state and simplex fermentation process in the wine brewing. The grapes the westerners use to make the wine brewing include sugar and yeast so that can have the natural fermentation under the proper temperature of 12-30. Under such conditions, the alcohol is produced. Peel and flesh of grape can release the coloring matter and everlasting power the grape wine needs. The grape wine, after the alcohol fermentation, they are rich in gallotannic acid, so, people can not drink it before the wine is stored up in the cellar and oak bucket. In this way, the wine becomes more mature and perfect in taste.In the process of grape wine brewing, the grape takes a key role. People’s working takes a minor role in the wine brewing. So, the westerners pay more attention to the grape selection and planting.Chapter 4 The Comparison of Wine Culture4.1 Container or Drinking VesselDrink ing vessels refer to appliances for holding wine. “If no drinking vessel, no drinking. The size of drinking vessel has measurement”. Since the appearance of wine, people use different vessels to hold it. The history of drinking vessel has the same long-standing history and has wide varieties.4.1.1 Chinese Container or Drinking VesselThe development of drinking vessels cannot be separated with the development of national economy. In different historical periods, the technologies, materials and appearances of drinking vessels can reflect a country’s development levels of economy and culture. Chinese people always value the usage of drinking vessel. As the use, they can be divided into vessel for storing wine, vessel for holding wine, vessel for selling wine and vessel for drinking. In ancient times, because of low development level of productivity, people mainly use appliances made from natural materials not manufactured for a special purpose such as animal horns and calabash and so on. As the constant improvement of productivity and gradual development of wine-making industries, materials and categories of drinking vessels become more such as ceramic drinking vessels, drinking vessels made from bronze, drinking vessels made from paint, jade drinking vessels and later gold and silver drinking vessels, glass drinking vessels and stainless steel drinking vessels and so on. Every drinking vessel has different types such that there are goblet, pot, utensil, mirror and vase in drinking vessels made from bronze. Some drinking vessels have different animal shapes such as sheep, tiger, cow and rabbit and so on. There are also some drinking vessels painted with characters, landscapeand stories with various categories and different forms, which make people, become dazzled. Certainly, when using these colorful drinking vessels for drinking, people also can enjoy the sense of beauty and at the same time reflect the unique charm of Chinese art and cultures.In a word, Chinese ancient drinking vessels are famous for bronze ware, lacquer and porcelain. They are also famous for elegant imagine and various decoration. Most of Chinese ancient drinking vessels occur as a whole set. The most typical is bronze ware in Shang and Zhou dynasties. Stewing drinking vessels, holding drinking vessels, drinking vessels, storing drinking vessels and sacrificial vessels in bronze drinking vessels are available, just like nowadays tea sets. The later decorative patterns on lacquer and porcelain are also beautiful. There are also some unique drinking vessels such as luminous wine glass, backflow pot, and mandarin ducks to Hong pot, Kowloon fair pot and jade jar of Dushan and so on (Wang and Zhong 39).4.1.2 Western Container or Drinking VesselThough western drinking vessels are not so abundant as Chinese, they have their characteristics. And that westerners pay attention to drinking different wines in different occasions and use different wineglasses such as wine-cup, white wine glass, brandy wine glass and champagne glass. In addition, the fabrication of western wineglasses needs thin and transparent and thus most of drinking vessels are glass and crystal ware so as to appreciating color and luster of wine and then estimating the grade of wine. When drinking, westerners like playing with wineglass and make the wineglass circle round. Therefore, appearances of western wineglasses are almost narrow mouth and wide belly, which are both elegant and light and practical. It can avoid the overflow of wine at the time it maintain aroma. It follows that Chinese drinking vessels are vivid and graceful and western are light and convenient. Though differences are obvious, they have their culturalcharacteristics. Nowadays, as the development of society, there are less Chinese traditional drinking vessels and western drinking vessels become prevail in China, which is a reflection of cultural combinations we advocate.In a word, western drinking vessels are almost glass and transparent, which can estimate the grade of wine. Western drinking vessels are handy and convenient, which are accepted by most of Chinese families. Westerners pay more attention to using suitable drinking vessels when drinking. Thus they have wine-cup, white wine glass, wine-glass and brandy glass and so on.4.2 Purpose of Drinking Wine4.2.1 Chinese Purpose of Drinking WineIn china, wine is often regarded as a kind of instrument. Drunk appeal is not drinking, but in landscape between the appeal. Enjoy the fun of landscape; see it in my heart, and hopes to it in its wines. People rely more on drinking to pursue other things. Warming the wine is just defining a hero; no stopped drunk is to eliminate worries with you; seven distinguished men singing with wild joy in the bamboo forest are taking refuge by wine. In Chinese people’s opinions, wine is a communicating instrument. Therefore, in Chinese wine culture, they lack of scientific and systematic theoretical analysis and evaluation on wine and they care more about the wonderful feeling after drinking.In Chinese fetes, wine also plays an important role. Though Chinese and western fetes all express people’s prays and respect to gods or Bacchus, the purposes are different. Pursuing payback is an instrumental feature of Chinese wine culture. Wine is a kind of static form in fete activities and it is an instrument to realize wishes.As for the core of wine culture, Chinese people take the wine as a tool to communicate instead of just drinking.Firstly, the wine can keep people in good health. Taoist culture is the indispensible part of Chinese cultures. Taoist school emphasizes this life instead of next lifetime, advocating being immortal by cultivating and preserving health. In Taoist culture, the purpose is more important than the means, which is just like getting fish but forgetting the bait. Taoist school considers that the wine is the key to the diet, which is helpful for keeping people in health and cultivating them. Taoists take the wine as the important means or the tool to be immortal so they often drink wine or brew wine. The adequate wine is good to health; otherwise, it will harm health. Li Shizhen points out that “the wine is a good thing. Drinking moderately is beneficial to health and even to keep the cold out and worries away. Drinking heavily is harm to health. The tipsy is the best in drinking.Secondly, the wine can be used as a special tool or media. It can not only negate unhappiness and bring about happiness but stimulate inspiration, creative ability and beauty. Gao Xiaosheng, famous modern author points out that “t he wine can create the beautiful things for us.” At the same time, the wine is just like a tool used by people. Although Chinese people love it and frequently use it, they pay less attention to the wine itself and more to the wonderful effect produced by drinking. What’s more, few of them will analyze, comment and identify the wine in a scientific and systematic way. Ou Yangxiu, a famous poet in the Song Dynasty, says that “many kiss the baby for the nurse’s sake” (Zhang Xiangchi 24). The enjoyment of the b eauty of mountains and rivers lies in drinking.” There are many drinking anecdotes with rich meanings. As to poets and literary men, the wine can stimulate their inspiration and wisdom. Taking the wine as the pen, they write and paint freely. The wine is poetic.4.2.2 Western Purpose of Drinking WineIn the West, people’s purpose for drinking is very simple and direct. Theydrink just for appreciating and enjoying the wine. Certainly, there is an exception that the grape wine also has the communicative function in the West. The pursuit of pleasure is the core value of Western wine culture. Most Westerners drink just to pursue how to indulge in the flavor of good wine. They take the wine as the work of art and aim at drinking.Firstly, Westerners think that the wine stand for life because it can not be inseparable from Jesus and Christ. The Western cultures are mainly made up of Ancient Greek and Roman culture and Christian Culture. Horace, a Roman poet, says that: “The wine is pretty with the character of fire and the appearance of water.” The Bible records that “Jesus Christ distributes the grape wine to his disciples at the last dinner and tell them it is his blood to make people remember that his death is to atone for others’crim.” It can be seen that th e grape wine is a part of life and Jesus’ incarnation.Secondly, westerners regard the wine and wine brewing as the process of making the works of art. In some westerners’ opinions, the wine is a special work of art with charm and life and the grape wine is more representative. American writer William Young said: "a bunch of grapes is beautiful, static and pure. Once squeezed, it becomes a kind of living thing.” (Kang Mingguan 43)In face of the holy and charming work of arts, Westerners naturally love it, drink it and even appreciate it. As for Westerners, the wine is used to drink. Taking the grape wine as an example, Westerners take grape wine brewing as making work of arts. In many chateaux, wine makers receive strict training since their early years. They learn enology and grape planting technology. As for wine brewing, they have a sense of honor and passion and are careful with every step of rape planting and wine brewing. They classify the grape wine according to the production specification. They brand the grape wine’s origin, vintage and rank, grape variety on the bottle in order to guarantee the quality of the wine and maintain the reputation of the chateau. Taking drinking grape wine as appreciating arts, they think that every kind of grape wine has its temperature, flavor, tie-in glass and dishes. Only if the grapewine is perfectly collocated with other things, its color, aroma and taste will wonderfully appear. That grape wine deserves the reputation as the wonderful wine.Westerners think the good wine is used to drink; otherwise the wine will disappoint its reputation. They are more likely to talk about the categories and brewing and evaluating methods of the wine.4.3 Wine Etiquette4.3.1 Chinese Wine EtiquetteChina has the reputation of state of ceremonies. Since antiquity, people pay more attention to courtesy and manners have almost been everywhere in people’s lives. “Without wine, it cannot be called courtesy”, as a part of Chinese traditional cultures, wine has close connections with courtesy and thus we call courtesy related to wine as wine ceremony. “In ancient times, the ceremony of drinking has four steps: worship, offer a sacrifice, taste and cheers. At the beginning, make a worship to express respect, and then pour a little of wine out on the ground to appreciate virtue of the earth; then taste the wine and give some praise to let the host happy; finally, drink off the wine.” Since the ancient times, people have had detailed regulations on wine ceremony. “Until the Western Zhou Dynasty, the regulations on wine ceremony are very strict and specific. It pays attention to time, sequence, number and order. Time refers that it must strictly control the time of drinking. Drinking is only allowed in crowning for the emperor and dukes, wedding or funerals and sacrifices or other celebrations or grand ceremonies; Sequence means that it must strictly abide by rank order and drinking must be undertook according to the sequences of God, earth, ancestor, deity, seniority, younger，venerator and inferiority; Number, refers that it must strictly control the quantity of drinking and less than three cups each time; Order, means that it must obey the order of official who is in charge of drinking. Thereare detailed regulations on the positions, types of wineglass, toast to whom and how to toast according to the different sequences of seniority, younger，venerator and inferiority.” (Zhang and Wang 72).Until now, people still abide by these drinking manners and just become more broad and flexible. People can invite relatives and friends to hold parties at any time and they no longer toast to God, earth, ancestor, deity in advance but also toast according to the classes and occasions. Chinese people lay emphasis on human and atmosphere when drinking and regard fullness as respect when pouring out wine and drink off for worship when drinking. When clinking glasses, glasses of juniors or inferiors must be lower than that of seniority or superiors; when toasting, juniors and inferiors must be initiative and need to speak toasting speech; there are serious urging drinking phenomenon in some regions and drink until thoroughly drunk and so on. In a word, there are fifty-six nationalities in China and each has its characteristics on wine ceremony. Being different from China, western wine ceremony is not so fussy. The purpose of drinking is to stimulate every organ to taste wine and enjoy the wonderful feeling.Besides, wine also plays a key role in Chinese sacrifice and in the memorial ceremonies.In China, under the situation that our ancestor cannot dominate the nature, in order to avoid damages of flood, drought, wind and thunder on human life, they only pray for gods for blessing on good weather for the crops and excellent harvest. On one hand, they constantly cultivate from spring to winter and on the other hand, they worship gods and pray for protection. What really make people happy and satisfied are harvested crops. Therefore, wine is just a instrument and is in a static state in the process of sacrifice and represents the nobility of gods and human’s respect. In the sacred atmosphere, fill good wine, invite gods to enjoy with soft voice and respective and pray for gods to bless everyone auspicious and longevity. Wine is precious and is the tribute devoted to immortal. Certainly, people do not invite them without any purpose but they have wishes on gods andhope to obtain paycheck for their respect and devotion, which expresses instrumentality features about pursuing paycheck of Chinese wine culture.As one of the sources of Chinese literature and cultures, The Book of Songs that is written about three thousand years ago has a lot of records and descriptions about wine. Works in The Book of Songs are mainly used on ceremonies, viewpoints and entertainment and important components of rites and music cultures in Zhou Dynasty and important instruments for education. After being edited into books, they are widely prevail in neighboring warlords and applied to sacrifice, going to court and banquet and other occasions and play important roles in political and diplomatic affairs. Since The Book of Songs is originally used in ceremony and entertainment, wine is indispensable. According to the textual research, there are 305 sheets of The Book of Songs; t he word “wine” appears 63 times. On one hand, it shows that only on the foundation of developed agriculture production and more surplus crops, the large number of making wine and drinking can be possible. On the other hand, when people have deep comprehension on wine, wine can be written in poetries in quantity. Though drinking is pleasure, because of the limitation of productivity, making wine is not easy. If there is wine, ancient people will memory their ancestor and gods who protect them. Wine becomes the appliance for sacrifice with a meaning to piously worship gods.4.3.2 Western Wine EtiquetteComparing with the Chinese wine etiquette, westerners also pay more attention to the wine etiquette in drinking.For example, in western countries, there is a certain order for serving wine, the proper order is: aperitif, wine goes with entrée, dessert wine and postprandial wine; in addition, on banquet, the atmosphere is relatively relaxed that they never play finger-guessing game and loudly shout; they advocate to pour two-thirds of goblet wine; toasting is after the choice of entrée while before the choice of。