Part two?
Establishment of Three Typical Types and Naming of Maotai-flavor Types
During the two pilot periods of 1964 to 1966 hosted by the Ministry of Light Industry, the pilot committee made a comprehensive exploration and scientific analysis and summary on the production and technology of Moutai. In the pilot scientific research activities, the effects of wine storage conditions and storage period on wine quality and the basic laws of wine blending were studied, and Li Xingfa, an old winemaker and deputy director of production with long-term practical experience, was selected as the research leader.
▲ Master Brewer Li Xingfa | "Hundred Years of Maotai Town"
The traditional blending method of Maotai liquor is to hook the big jar with the small jar, and the long-aged wine is linked with the short-aged wine, and what wine produces what wine. Relying entirely on the direct experience of blending personnel, there is no unified blending standard. Therefore, different batches of finished products cannot be completely consistent, and the quality cannot be stable. In view of this situation, Li Xingfa decided to combine years of practical experience, first of all, from the aspect of blending, explore the law and improve the blending process. Under the guidance of the old factory director Zheng Yixing, he led the research team to collect more than 200 kinds of sample wines with different rounds, different wine ages and different tastes from the wine warehouse, tasted them for thousands of times, and analyzed the standard wine samples, wine samples with different wine ages, typical wine samples and their changes after composition. Finally, three typical wine bodies were summarized, that is, the one with maotai flavor and elegant and delicate taste was designated as maotai wine body. It is good to brew, bake and release aroma from fermented grains at the bottom of pits, but those with spicy wine flavor are classified as pit bottom aroma, which contains a lot of aroma components, and those with mellow and sweet taste are classified as mellow bodies.
▲ Maotai master Zheng Yixing (standing)/"Centennial Maotai Town"
After establishing three typical wine bodies, the research team used blending methods such as randomization, recycling and elimination for hundreds of times according to different proportions, and finally found out some blending rules, blending Maotai liquor with outstanding sauce flavor, elegant and delicate, mellow and full, long aftertaste, lasting fragrance in empty cups, unique style and perfect wine quality. According to its unique aroma, Li Xingfa named it Maotai-flavor liquor. After the establishment of the three typical bodies, the pilot technicians used advanced scientific instruments and technologies to analyze, measure and taste them, which proved that the establishment of the three typical bodies and the naming of the main aroma of Moutai were correct.
▲ Moutai in packaging | "Maotai Distillery"
Since then, the three models have become the standards in the production process of Moutai, ensuring the stable improvement of the quality of Moutai and promoting the growth of output. Since then, the single blending method with long and short liquor age has been replaced by multi-combination and multi-type scientific and meticulous blending methods, and the traditional technology of Moutai has been further inherited and carried forward. According to the report entitled "Further Improvement of Maotai Liquor Quality" published by Guizhou Daily and Xinhua News Agency in June, 1965, "... according to the blending method discovered by worker Li Xingfa, the unique aroma and other quality standards of Maotai Liquor can be stably maintained".
▲ Workshop of Maotai Distillery | Record of Maotai Distillery
1965 In the second half of the year, at the pilot demonstration meeting held in Shanxi, the Ministry of Light Industry officially affirmed the establishment of three typical types of Moutai and the naming of maotai-flavor types. At the end of 1965, at the first National Technical Cooperation Conference on Famous Liquor held in Luzhou, the representative of Maotai Distillery read the article "How We Blend Liquor", a scientific research achievement of Li Xingfa Scientific Research Group summarized by Ji Keliang with scientific theory, which aroused strong response from the conference and the concern of representatives of various manufacturers.
▲ Brewer Ji Keliang | Tuyuan. com
At this point, the famous wineries have clearly distinguished five flavor types according to the aroma and characteristics of their products by using the novel science and technology of Maotai Distillery, and have set off a "blending" upsurge in the whole country by learning from Maotai's "fine blending" science and technology, thus promoting the development and quality improvement of liquor production, and at the same time providing more specific information for various wine evaluation activities in the country.
▲ 1963 The 2nd National Wine Tasting Meeting held in Beijing | Tuyuan.com
The establishment of three typical types of maotai liquor and the naming of maotai-flavor type are a great progress in liquor production, and are the crystallization of maotai liquor production practice and years of scientific experiments. It embodies the diligence and wisdom of sommeliers, engineers and technicians, all workers and two pilot technicians in Maotai Distillery. It promoted the quality improvement of national famous liquor and prospered the liquor market in China. It is not only a great contribution of Moutai workers to the development of Moutai production, but also a great contribution to China ancient wine culture.
▲ The next issue will share the unique brewing technology and characteristics of Moutai, so stay tuned.