II. The Origins of Wine

2.1 The Origin of Wine in China

In Chinese history, as a special kind of cultural forms, the wine culture has a unique position in traditional Chinese culture. It almost permeated into the various fields of social life, and became communication medium which people can express their feelings and communicate with each other.

The old saying goes: “No wine, no seats”. Since ancient times, various feasts never left wine in our country and even added affluent contents, various entertainment programs to raise the passion for drinking. These become a requisite part of Chinese brilliant wine culture. About the origin of wine, most came from legends and ancient books. There are two originators who have “big” names, one is Yi Di, another is Du Kang. A famous editor of “Chinese university” ever said, according to legend, Yi Di began to make wine, this refers to the wine more sweet and strong than primitive society ages. This thesis is more practical. China is recognized as the first country which used yeast to make wine in the world. Yeast played a central role in the spoilage of foods and beverages (V. and M. 23). The majority of Chinese wine made with yeast and China's yeast method has a greater impact for neighboring countries, such as Japan, Vietnam and Thailand and so on. The origin of the wine in China is extremely early. The oldest Jiaguwen and Jinwen has the word of “wine”. The Chinese wine culture originated from the wine brewing, about 2800 BC to 1800 years of the LongShan culture period , there appeared fruit wine of natural fermentation; Shang dynasty appeared the brewing technology that use of grain saccharification and re-lapping of wine; the pre-Qin period, China appeared direct brewing method of making use of active microbes or enzymes; the Han dynasty developed the yeast making technology and introduced grape wine production from the Western Regions; Tang and song dynasty began brewing fruit wine and medicated wine; Yuan dynasty appeared the fire wine technology of distillation; during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the further development of wine making industries, the distilling white liquor of higher alcoholicity rapid popularization.

Chinese wine culture is extensive and prosperity. It formed the wine culture with Chinese characteristics after thousands of years of accumulation. Wine culture is the crystallization of Chinese traditional culture and material culture.

2.2 The Origin of Wine in Britain

Britain wine culture originates from western mythology. There are an army of stories about origin of wine in the West. Ancient Egypt believed that the wine is invented by Osiris who was the God of sheltered the dead, and the Greeks hold the view that Dionysus brought the wine to the earth, as the gift given to people and it is also a symbol of the harvest. This origin also says that the wine is interpreted as a product of God.

In these legends spread the most widely is “Dionysus wine making,” said. Dionysus who was the god in Greek mythology, according to legends, he was the son of Zeus and Serbian. Hera burned Serbian out of jealousy. Zeus rescued Dionysus and giving him a second birth. After Dionysus was raised up by goddess Eno and the mountains fairies, he wandered in the small Asian thunder and Greece and taught the cultivation of grapes and wine technology everywhere, wine was gradually prevailed in the European continent. According to the legend, Dionysus has an entourage whose name is Satyrs. Satyrs are half-goat, half-man creature. Dionysus wandering around with Satyrs, they went to float the wine. The ancient Greeks pray for harvest and celebrate the harvest, so the annual spring and autumn are held Dionysian worship. At the ceremony, people dressed as half man and half goat to chorus Dithyramb, they intoxicated, carnival, parade and so on in the woods or wilderness (L. H. 485). Dionysus also became a synonym for wine or wine-related carnival. In the Bible, when Jesus gave the wine to the disciples at the last meal, he said, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Here, the wine is not only a part of life and symbolizing the doctrine of God, but also the embodiment of Jesus’ spirits of salvation.