Looking for the Shaoxing Wine Tips On How To Store And Serve It? That’s why you are here.
Shaoxing wine is not a type of wine but a popular rice wine brewed in Shaoxing, China. It’s typically used as the cooking wine in China and is often served with Chinese dishes. The flavor of this distinctive rice wine can range from dry to sweet to tart, depending on how long it’s aged.
Although you can store and serve Shaoxing wine just like any other type of alcohol, there are some tips you should know about so that you can ensure the best quality every time you buy and drink it.
Table of Contents
- Why Is Shaoxing Wine Temperature Important?
- How To Achieve the Perfect Temperature for Shaoxing Wine?
- What Type of Glass is Best for Shaoxing Wine?
- What is the Best Way to Store Shaoxing Wine?
- What is the Right Way to Pour Shaoxing Wine?
- 3 Things to Avoid When Drinking Shaoxing Wine
- Is Shaoxing Wine the same as Rice Wine Vinegar?
- What Does Shaoxing Wine Taste Like?
- Bottom Line
Why Is Shaoxing Wine Temperature Important?
Though wine is a temperamental substance, the temperature can make all of the difference in terms of taste. Too cold and wines become dull and flat; too warm and they lose their edge. However, as with most things, there are exceptions.
Shaoxing wine is usually served hot, so knowing how to get it at just the right temperature is important. Luckily, Shaoxing wine doesn’t require a lot of preparation—you don’t need any special equipment or knowledge to serve your guests properly.
In fact, there are only two things you need to do to ensure that your Shaoxing wine tastes good: pick out a great bottle and keep it warm!
- Read more about How to Handle Your Wine glass
How To Achieve the Perfect Temperature for Shaoxing Wine?
In order to serve your Shaoxing wine at its best, it is important to ensure that it has been stored at an optimal temperature. Most wines will taste better when served at a temperature of between 45-54 degrees Fahrenheit.
The room temperature is fine but not exactly ideal. The best temperature to serve Shaoxing wine at is 60 degrees Fahrenheit (or 15 degrees Celsius).
A bit lower than room temperature, a bit higher than cold, and it will be perfectly chilled without losing any of its flavors. This will also give you some time to savor your glass before finishing it all in one gulp.
If you want to chill your Shaoxing wine properly, use a refrigerator or a wine chiller. Remove your bottle from its original packaging and store it in its own case or container for best results.
Additionally, if you plan on serving more than one type of drink, you should consider using ice buckets for all of them as opposed to serving each one individually so that you do not have to constantly re-chill your Shaoxing wine throughout your evening.
What Type of Glass is Best for Shaoxing Wine?
The wine glasses traditionally used for serving Shaoxing wine are small, with a tall bowl, almost like a stemless white wine glass. They may be decorated or plain, but they should have a tall bowl and be heavy for their size; keep them stacked on top of each other.
Avoid large red wine glasses or bulbous champagne flutes; these do not hold as much liquid and will affect your appreciation of its aroma.
China is famous for its beautiful drinking vessels, so it’s worth looking around to find something you like – visit Chinese shops in your area or browse through pictures of traditional Shaoxing glassware online.
You’ll be very pleased with how much better your wine tastes when served in an appropriate vessel!
Looking for the: Sweet Red Wine: The Proper Temperature For Storing
What is the Best Way to Store Shaoxing Wine?
There are some steps that you have to consider while storing Shaoxing wine, such as trying to put it in cool places, and unlike other premium fresh wines, you need to keep Shaoxing wine in dark areas and possibly try to keep it sealed.
But if Shaoxing wine has some part left over, you can put it in its refrigerator, enhancing its life span.
What is the Right Way to Pour Shaoxing Wine?
This is another one of those Chinese wines that many Westerners are likely to be unfamiliar with. But Shaoxing wine deserves your attention for two reasons. Firstly, it’s delicious—and has a kind of nutty malt flavor that pairs well with food.
Secondly, it’s usually quite inexpensive and can be found in most Asian supermarkets or specialty grocery stores like HMart. That makes it a fantastic addition to any wine-loving bachelor or bachelorette’s home bar.
This post provides tips on storing Shaoxing wine and serving it in a sophisticated manner by topping off your glass after pouring and adding ice cubes!
3 Things to Avoid When Drinking Shaoxing Wine
- Don’t mix Shaoxing wine with anything else to drink; you will spoil its flavor, originality, and integrity.
- Don’t store it in a cupboard above your sink where there are often leaks and water drips, or in a dark area like under your bed or wardrobe as it is harmful to lighten up Shaoxing wine.
- Do not leave it overnight on a shelf; one night’s exposure to air can damage or even ruin its color and smell, which may also make you unhappy when having that cup of Shaoxing wine before sleep to help you have a peaceful sleep.
So you should keep the above things on your mind if you started to love this wine.
Is Shaoxing Wine the same as Rice Wine Vinegar?
There is a lot of confusion surrounding Shaoxing wine, and it’s often mistaken for rice wine vinegar. The reason for its popularity stems from its umami-rich flavor profile. With that said, let’s take a look at what makes it so unique.
First and foremost, Shaoxing wine is much sweeter than rice wine vinegar. The overwhelming majority of Shaoxing wines are on the lower end of alcoholic content, with 25% ABV being more common than not.
Moreover, these wines have a longer shelf life (3 years versus 6 months), meaning they can be enjoyed year-round!
What Does Shaoxing Wine Taste Like?
The flavor of Shaoxing wine can vary from sweet to bitter, depending on how it’s brewed. In general, Shaoxing wine has a strong fragrance that comes from an assortment of yeast and rock sugar used in its brewing process.
A good tip for serving and storing Shaoxing wine is to keep it refrigerated and serve it with cold dishes such as duck or fish so that both of them can complement each other’s flavors.
If you want to store Shaoxing wine for long periods of time, make sure that you decant it into a glass container rather than sealing up plastic bottles, which prevent oxygen from reaching your drink and can cause it to turn rancid faster.
Bottom Line
Shaoxing wine is a Chinese alcoholic beverage that’s made from glutinous rice, wheat, and water. The distilled alcohol has to be aged for several years before it’s fit for drinking.
As one of China’s most beloved wines, you can use various techniques to store and serve Shao xing wine at home with your guests.
Here are some tips that can help you make sure your bottle lasts as long as possible. Whether you want to taste a mature vintage or drink something younger, check out these expert tips on how to store and serve Shaoxing wine.
