Wei Zheng was a famous politician, thinker, and writer in the early Tang Dynasty, because he dared to speak out and advise, and Tang Taizong Li Shimin left a model of cooperation between a pair of monarchs and subjects in China's history, and jointly created the prosperity of the "rule of Zhenguan", Wei Zheng was also called "a generation of famous faces" by posterity.
We all know that Wei Zheng was an outstanding politician, and he repeatedly advised Tang Taizong's famous sayings that "both listening is clear, and partial belief is dark" and "water can carry a boat, it can also overturn a boat", which have been widely circulated. As everyone knows, Wei Zheng is also a winemaking expert, and the fine wine he brewed in the early Tang Dynasty was already fragrant at that time.
According to the "Chinese Wine Ceremony", "Wei Zheng is good at winemaking, and his wine name is "醽渌翠涛", which has been stored in large gold poppies for ten years, and its taste is unprecedented in the world." ”
Wei Zheng's hometown of Julu Quyang (present-day Jinzhou, Hebei) was rich in wheat sorghum, coupled with the luscious water quality of the Tuotuo River, so Wei Zheng referred to the ancient brewing techniques and brewed a high-quality wine.
Legend has it that one year during the Tang Dynasty, Wei Zheng, who had returned to his hometown to recuperate, wandered along the river and saw the farmer Li Bao's family harvesting sorghum, but he could not sell it for a while and hoarded it in the courtyard, not knowing what to do.
Wei Zheng looked at the sorghum on the ground, pondered for a while, and then said to Li Bao, it is better to use these sorghum for winemaking.
Subsequently, Wei Zheng taught his brewing skills. On the day of the completion of the wine, Li Bao opened a small wine shop, and Wei Zheng also wrote a joint note for his wine shop: "Sorghum is good to persuade the spirits to get drunk, and the music material is competing for Fu to say material."
In gratitude for Wei Zheng's help, Li Bao specially named this wine "Wei Zheng Wine". It didn't take long for Wei Zhengjiu to quickly sell well in all directions and win the praise of many people.
The reputation of Wei Zheng's fine wine spread to the capital. One day, after Tang Taizong had a conversation with the courtiers in the main hall, he prepared to taste the fine wine made by Wei Zheng together.
When Wei Zheng carried his own wine and let Tang Taizong taste it first, Tang Taizong savored it for a long time, greatly appreciated it, and gave Wei Zheng the wine he brewed
"Chui Chui Tao"
。
Tang Taizong also wrote a poem impromptuly in the main hall, praising the mellowness and quality of the wine brewed by Wei Zheng:
"Shi Wei Zheng Poem" Li Shimin
Sheng Lansheng, Cui Tao over Yu Xue.
A thousand days drunk, ten years of undefeated taste.
Afterwards, when Tang Taizong and Wei Zheng were drinking, because they appreciated the fine wine brewed by Wei Zheng, they also jokingly said: "Wei Zheng, your wine is really smooth and mellow, and the aroma after the entrance is endless, it is really a golden bucket, it is better to take a sip of Wei Zheng!" ”
From then on, from the princes and ministers, the high-ranking officials and nobles, down to the people of Li, they were proud to be able to drink the fine wine made by Wei Zheng.
In Wei Zheng's hometown, there is also such a song:
"The world is famous for Wei Zheng wine, aromatic mellow reputation in Kyushu. A hundred years of drunkenness, a cup can dispel all the sorrows of the past. ”
In this way, he praised Wei Zheng's fine wine.
It is also recorded in the "Records of the Deep Palaces of China" in the "Palace Wine" section: Wei Zheng has the craft of making wine, and the wine he made has two of the most rare, namely, The wine is drunk and Cuitao, and the above wine is stored in a jar, and it will not rot for ten years.
Before the Tang Dynasty, people brewed rice wine, because the alcohol content is not high, is generally freshly brewed and drunk, so it is not easy to store for a long time. The wine made by Wei Zheng is obviously high in alcohol and can be stored for a long time. Therefore, Wei Zheng's contribution to China's winemaking industry is enormous.
Wei Zheng can be called a prodigy in the long river of history, he is knowledgeable in the past and the present, and his art is involved in all ends, techniques and many disciplines. Even if Wei Zheng did not enter politics, he was only a brewer, which was enough to survive for hundreds of years.
This article refers to: "Poetry and Wine Years: Chinese Poetry and Wine Culture Overflowing with Wine"