Foreigners show passion for Suzhou winter wine

Suzhou residents are busying buying winter wine for winter solstice, which falls on December 21 this year.

It is a common Chinese tradition to drink winter wine on the evening before the winter solstice.

Foreigners in Suzhou also enjoy wine. Livo, an Italian coming to Suzhou to visit friends, came to buy wine as soon as he heard about the tradition.

“I have had yellow wine in China, but have never tasted winter wine in Suzhou,” he said.

Livo said Suzhou is only offering winter wine during winter solstice, so he is very curious about it.

Sales of winter wine began on December 10. The wine is so popular that every morning people have to line up to buy it.

“We sell around 100 pots of wine everyday, and the wine is expected to be sold out on winter solstice eve,” said Bian Guojia, chairman of the Suzhou traditional hotel Yuan Dachang.

Bian said they prepared 1,300 pots of wine this year, 100 more than last year.

Private rooms in many restaurants have been booked for winter solstice eve.

“Eighty percent of the private rooms in our restaurant have been reserved,” said Zhou Jingjia, vice-general manager of the Suzhou traditional restaurant Deyuelou.