Cultural tips

Etiquette and Customs 6: Chinese Wine and Seeing off
Chinese wine Jiu (Chinese: 酒; pinyin: jiǔ) is the Chinese word that refers to all alcoholic beverages. This word has often been translated into English as "wine", although the meaning is closer to "alcoholic beverage" or "liquor". The same Chinese character is also used in Japanese, where it is pronounced sake or shu, and in Korean, where it is pronounced "ju".

The two main varieties of Chinese wines are fermented wines (Chinese: 黃酒; pinyin: huáng jiǔ; literally "yellow liquor"), which may be clear, beige, or reddish-brown in color; and distilled liquors (Chinese: 白酒; pinyin: bái jiǔ; literally "white liquor"), which are usually clear liquids. Although not a traditional product, grape wine (Chinese: 葡萄酒; pinyin: pú táo jiǔ; literally "grape wine") was first mentioned in classical Chinese poems around 1,000 years ago during the Tang Dynasty. It has been increasingly produced and consumed in China since 1900 as a result of increased Western influences.

Traditionally, Chinese wines are warmed before being consumed. The temperature to which the liquor may be warmed ranges between approximately 35 and 55 degrees Celsius, well below the boiling point of ethanol. Warming the liquor allows its aromas to be better appreciated by the drinker without loss of alcohol. Optimal temperature for warming depends on the type of wine as well as the preference of the drinker.

In China if a guest comes to visit you, the host would usually see the guest off until the guest leaves the home, which shows the host's respect for the guest. Normally it's the guest who would say words like "I should leave now". It would make the guest feel uncomfortable if the host said "You should leave now". When the guest says "I'm leaving", the host would usually say something like "stay here for a few more minutes" to express hospitality. If the guest insists on leaving, the host should not stand up untill the guest stands up. Otherwise it would seem impolite. To see the guest off, the host should walk with him/her for a while. The guest would say "就此告辞" (jiù cǐ gào cí; bye for now), "后会有期" (hòu huì yǒu qī; see you in the future). And the host would say "一路顺风" (yí lù shùn fēng), "旅途平安" (lǚ tú píng ān), which means "have a good trip". Sometimes they would also say "bye", "take care", or they would ask each other to remember themselves to the relatives.