Comparison of Wine Culture between Western Countries and China

To　compare　Chinese　and　western　culture　of　wine，　we　should　start　from　the　origin　of　wine.　In　this　aspect，　the　two　sides　have　totally　different　ideas.　Chinese　people　claim　that　man　made　wine　while　western　people　claim　that　god　made　wine.　It　spreads　among　people　that　Du　Kang　made　wine.　It　is　said　that　Du　Kang　was　a　shepherd.　One　day，　when　the　sheep　were　grazing，　he　lost　his　bamboo　bottle　filled　with　rice　porridge.　After　half　a　month，　he　regained　the　bottle　and　found　that　fermented　rice　porridge　smelled　nice.　So　he　gave　up　the　career　of　a　shepherd　and　opened　a　wine　shop.　His　wine　was　popular　in　no　time.　So　Du　Kang　gradually　became　the　synonym　of　wine.　In　the　west，　there　are　a　lot　of　versions　of　wine　origin.　The　most　widely　spread　one　is　that　the　God　of　Wine　made　wine.　The　God　of　Wine　Dionysus　is　the　God　in　a　Greek　myth.　People　said　he　was　born　by　Zeus，　the　father　of　people，　and　the　princess　Semily.　The　Queen　was　jealous　of　Semily　and　burned　her.　Zeus　sewed　Dionysus　in　his　thigh　and　rescued　him.　He　was　then　brought　up　by　Goddess　Eno　and　the　forest　fairies.　He　led　a　vagrant　life　and　spread　the　technology　of　growing　grapes　and　fermenting　wine.　So　wine　became　popular　in　Europe.　Similarly，　Dionysus　also　became　the　synonym　of　wine.　Most　historians　hold　the　view　that　Persia（called　Iran　today）is　the　earliest　country　to　make　wine.　In　June　6，　1996，　Xinhua　Press　reported　that　archaeologists　had　found　some　materials　in　a　village　in　late　Stone　Age　in　northern　Iran.　About　7000　years　ago，　countries　around　Iran　began　to　grow　grapes.　The　procession　of　growing　grapes　contains　three　stages，　which　are　the　stage　of　collecting　wild　grape　fruits，　the　stage　of　grape　taming　and　the　stage　of　grape　cultivation.

China　has　a　long　history　of　wine　culture.　Despite　the　rice　wine　with　the　longest　history，　the　representative　Chinese　wine　is　white　spirit.　To　some　extent，　Chinese　wine　culture　is　the　culture　of　white　spirit　because　among　the　wine　kinds　in　China，　it　enjoys　the　superb　crafts　and　is　still　the　distilled　wine　with　the　largest output　in　the　world.　Chinese　civilization　originates　from　the　Yellow　River　Basin，　where　there　is　fertile　soil　and　moderate　climate.　Ten　thousand　years　ago，　China　with　West　Asia　and　CentralAmerica　became　the　first　agricultural　center.　China　has　a　large　production　of　grains.　Besides　the　amount　of　grains　people　eat，　there　remains　much　more，　which　lays　a　solid　foundation　of　wine　fermentation　with　grains.　Greece　which　is　the　cradle　of　western　civilization　situates　in　Balkans，　which　faces　the　ocean　in　three　directions.　Mountains　and　islands　spread　all　over　the　country　and　the　soil　is　relatively　poor.　It　is　the　typical　Mediterranean　climate，　which　is　not　conducive　to　grain　growing.　So　it　has　a　low　production　of　grain.　It　is　only　enough　for　eating.　Little　is　left　for　wine　fermentation.　However，　grapes，　which　prefer　gravel　soil，　with　its　features　of　anti－drought　and　adaptation　to　the　Mediterranean　climate，　widely　grow　in　Greece.　Thus，　it　meets　western　people’s　requirements　of　wine.

In　terms　of　the　etiquette　of　wine　drinking，　there　are　also　a　number　of　differences.　We　can　discover　a　law　after　careful　consideration　that　the　Chinese　drink　to　the　people　while　the　western　drink　to　the　wine.　Chinese　people　pay　attention　to　the　partners　they　drink　with　and　what　they　enjoy　is　the　atmosphere　while　western　people　pays　attention　to　what　kind　of　wine　they　drink　and　what　they　enjoy　is　the　taste　of　wine.

The　Chinese　etiquette　of　wine　drinking　reflects　the　respect　to　the　people.　Everyone，　host　or　guest，　has　the　fixed　seats　and　the　fixed　order　of　toast.　The　host　is　the　first　to　toast.　The　wineglass　should　be　full　when　toasting，　which　reflects　the　respect　to　the　toaster.　The　younger　generation　should　toast　to　the　elder　generation　actively　and　the　lower　to　the　higher.　And　it　is　better　to　drink　the　bottom　up.　What’s　more，　the　etiquettes　like　execute　drinking　orders　and　finger　guessing　game　are　produced　in　order　to　make　the　drinkers　have　more　fun.　Obviously，　Chinese　culture　of　wine　is　deeply　influenced　by　the　traditional　culture　of　seniority　pecking.　It　put　the　respect　to　the　people　in　the　first　place.　However，　the　western　etiquette　of　wine　drinking　reflects　the　respect　to　the　wine.　When　tasting　the　wine，　they　watch　the　color，　smell　the　smell　and　taste　the　taste.　They　use　all　their　senses　to　enjoy　the　wine.　In　terms　of　the　order　of　wine　drinking，　they　always　drink　white　wine　first　and　then　red　wine，　light　wine　first　and　then　heavy　wine，　wine　with　a　short　history　first　and　then　wine　with　a　long　history.　They　gradually　enjoy　the　different　tastes　of　the　wine　with　the　changes　of　the　sense　of　taste.　And　the　choice　of　wineglass　is　decided　according　to　people’s　requirements　of　wine　drinking.　No　matter　it　is　the　tulip－shaped　goblet　which　collects　the　fragrance　at　the　mouth　of　the　glass，　the　decanter　which　stretches　the　body　of　the　wine　or　the　thermometer　specially　designed　for　sizing　the　temperature　of　the　wine，　they　all　demonstrate　western　people’s　respect　to　the　wine.　Their　etiquette　and　culture　of　wine　drinking　are　formulated　to　better　appreciate　the　sweet　taste.

Comparing　the　Chinese　and　western　culture　of　wine，　we　can　conclude　that　the　difference　between　the　culture　of　wine　is　the　difference　between　the　Chinese　and　western　manner　of　thinking.　Chinese　people　have　the　divergent　thinking　while　western　people　have　the　linear　thinking.

The　traditional　wine　custom　is　an　important　part　of　fork　customs.　It　contains　abundant　things，　relating　with　every　aspects　of　the　human　production　and　human　life.　In　China，　from　the　ancient　sacrifice　to　marriage　and　funeral，　from　the　celebration　to　the　season，　from　house　building　to　outgoing，　from　the　origin　of　the　ancient　civilization　to　the　modern　life，　they　are　all　closely　related　with　the　wine　custom.　In　Shi　Jiazhuang，　the　history　of　wine　fermentation　and　wine　drinking　is　much　longer　than　the　Slavery　States，　even　longer　than　the　birth　of　the　tribal　system.　Thus，　the　wine　custom　is　one　kind　of　long－established　folk　custom.　No　matter　it　is　from　the　prospective　of　literature　or　psychology　or　biochemistry　to　study　the　relation　between　wine　and　man，　there　are　countless　secrets.　Although　wine　custom　is　part　of　the　study　of　folk　customs　or　sociology，　the　inner　contents　are　beyond　social　science.　Wine　custom　is　the　accumulation　of　historical　culture　and　the　reflection　of　people’s　mentality.　It　embodies　not　only　sense　of　worth，　outlook　on　life，　cultural　perspective　and　sense　of　right　and　wrong.　Therefore，　different　people　of　different　race　and　countries　have　different　understandings　of　wine　custom.　However，　everyone　respect　folk　customs　and　shares　one　dream　that　is　hoping　the　world　safe　and　peaceful.

Despite　the　effort　made　in　the　present　research，　there　are　still　some　limitations　that　should　be　mentioned.　Firstly，　western　wine　customs　should　be　further　and　specifically　studied.　Secondly，　nowadays，　in　KTV，　men　and　women　drink　with　vulgar　music　and　colorful　lights.　They　drink　for　fun　or　exactly　desire.　They　have　no　idea　or　consciousness　of　wine　culture.　What　is　the　trend　of　Chinese　wine　culture？

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