Are you still confused about fermented wine, distilled wine, and blended wine?

There is a vast array of wine types, and no one can accurately determine the ultimate number of wine varieties in the world. This is due to the multitude of raw materials and varieties that can be used for winemaking, as well as diverse brewing methods and techniques, which have resulted in a colorful and diverse family of "wine" that is as vibrant and beautiful as a myriad of flowers in full bloom. However, we can still categorize wine based on different types.

Based on their properties, wines can be broadly categorized into three main types: fermented wine, distilled wine, and blended wine.

Fermented wine

Fermented wine is an alcoholic beverage produced through the fermentation of raw materials and subsequent aging in containers for a period of time. The alcohol content of this type of wine is generally not high, typically not exceeding a few percent.

Fermented wine is generally produced using grains, fruit juice, etc. as raw materials. Under anaerobic conditions, yeast or other microorganisms are used to break down glucose or fructose, producing metabolic products such as alcohol and carbon dioxide, and releasing a small amount of energy. This type of wine mainly includes beer, wine, and rice wine.

Distilled liquor

Distilled liquor is produced by heating a fermented solution to a temperature between the boiling points of alcohol (78.5°C) and water (100°C), exploiting the difference in boiling points to collect high-concentration alcohol and aromatic components.

The production process of distilled liquor generally includes four steps: the destruction of raw materials, fermentation, distillation, and aging. Since this type of liquor is purified through distillation, it has a high alcohol content. Depending on the raw materials used in its production, it can be roughly divided into seven types: Baijiu, brandy, whiskey, vodka, tequila, rum, and gin.

Chinese Baijiu is generally made from sorghum, wheat, corn, and other ingredients through fermentation, distillation, and aging. There are various types of Baijiu, and there are multiple classification methods.

Blended wine

Blended alcoholic beverages are primarily produced by using fermented base liquor or distilled liquor as the base, supplemented with ingredients to impart color, aroma, and flavor, and then blended through a prescribed process. Blended liquor is produced by using brewed liquor, distilled liquor, or edible alcohol as the base, adding various natural or artificial ingredients, and then undergoing specific processing to create a blended liquor with desired color, aroma, flavor, and appearance.

China has many types of blended liquor, such as tiger bone wine, ginseng and antler wine, and bamboo leaf green wine. In foreign countries, there are various types of blended liquor, including aperitifs and liqueurs.