酒文化是文化百花园中的一朵奇葩，源远流长、根深叶茂，自出现至今已发展了数千年，具有鲜明的时代烙印。

本书以中华民族悠久的酒文化为主线，运用生动朴实的语言详尽地介绍了我国的美酒趣闻，其涉及美酒溯源、传说、典故、文化内涵及制作方法等诸多方面，集趣味性、知识性与文化性于一体。饱览此书，犹如畅游浩瀚的中华美酒长河，不亦乐乎！

The Chinese do not see wine as one of the necessities of life, but in their social life the culture of wine as a distinct cultural form has made and continues to make an impact on the way the Chinese live. Chinese alcoholic drinks are chiefly made from grain. Throughout the long history of China, with its large population and long-term reliance on agriculture, the ups and downs of the wine trade have been closely bound up with political, economic and social conditions. The fluctuations in the grain harvest were like a barometer for the ups and downs of the wine business. The successive ruling dynasties issued or relaxed restrictions on wine production according to the grain harvests to make sure that people had enough to live on.

Preface

The Invention of Chinese Wine

 Where does Wine ComeFrom?

 Wine in Sacrifice--a Holy Means of Invocation, an Offering in the Holy Rite

The Varieties of Alcohol and Their

 Appreciation

 Chinese Wine and its Most Famous Types

 Chinese Spirits and Their Most Famous Types

 Beer in China

 Wine Made in China

 A New Force in the World Wine Landscape

Wine Drinking Rituals and Customs

 Flagon Fine and Goblet Rare

 Wine Rituals and Wine Morality

Drinking Games

Folk Customs and Wine

 Drinking Styles

 Hospitality and Drinking

 Wine and Holidays

 Wine's Therapeutic Value and Regular Usage

Legends of Wine

 Wine and Politics

 "Lifting My Drink and Singing a Song"

 Poetry and Wine

From Wine Restaurants to Bars

 Traditional Wine Restaurants

 Bars--Leisure Venues in the Cities

 Consumption of Imported Wine

Appendix: Chronological Table of the Chinese Dynasties