Traveling in Guizhou (5) Maotai Town

Today’s goal should be northern Guiyang, and we have already visited several places in the east. The most famous places in the north are definitely Zunyi and Chishui River, but when I came to travel by myself, I wanted to find a more special place. I searched around on the map and finally found that Maotai Town was an ideal target. After all, this The wine is so famous that it would be a pity not to visit the place where it is produced!

Maotai Town is a little farther than Zunyi. Starting from Miao Village, you have to go west (in the direction of Guiyang) to Majiang County, and then go north to Mae Tan via Weng'an (this place just had a famous event) , then go west to Maotai, which is a walk around Guiyang. The total distance is 382 kilometers and a 5-hour drive. Of course, you can go all the way to the vicinity of Guiyang and then go north, but I thought there would be fewer cars on the road farther away from Guiyang. Facts have proved that my judgment is still very accurate.

We set off from Miao Village early. The road at Damenkou was still wet after it had just rained, but it did not affect us from taking photos at the door (there were many people at the door when we came in yesterday), and then we started on the road.

As expected, there were not many cars along the way. The road to the north was not newly built and the road surface quality was poor. We arrived at the Meitan Service Area around noon. This sign inside is very unique!

I don’t know what this hanging teapot is called here. Anyway, I saw a similar wine pot in Shenyang called “Heavenly Pot”. That’s the principle! In fact, it is very simple to put it bluntly. The water flowing out of the spout is not only water, but also a hard tube supporting it.

As we approached Maotai Town, there were more and more signs on the roadside related to wine. I took a photo of the toll gate when I got off the Maotai Expressway.

Maotai Town is not big. It has a similar structure to the Dong and Miao villages I visited a few days ago. There are mountains on both sides and a river in the middle. The buildings farther away are built on the hillside and are still in the style of stilted buildings. The hotel we booked On the west bank of the river, next to the Moutai Tianjiang Scenic Area, the opposite bank is the main factory area of ​​Moutai Co., Ltd.

This river is the famous Chishui River. The water for all Moutai wines (including local small wineries) is taken from here. My first question is can such muddy water be used to make wine?

I have never thought that Maotai Town is a tourist place, but since I came here, I always wanted to see something. I asked the front desk of the hotel and was told that Maotai Co., Ltd. has a museum. Of course I had to see this.

On the way across the river from the hotel to the town, the building behind is the museum.

There is no parking space at the entrance of the museum. I followed the flow of people and traffic and parked on the roadside at the entrance of the museum. I bought a ticket to enter. The ticket is 60. According to the museum's instructions, each ticket can buy two bottles of Moutai at the standard price. When I entered The two little girls next to me are still discussing how to get 6 bottles into a box. . . .

sign next to door

door

These are probably the great wine-making masters in history.

This building with a bit of Han Dynasty style is the main body, and what it talks about is nothing more than the history of the development of wine and Moutai.

Different architectural styles

Is this how wine was drunk back then?

Inside the yard.

There are several buildings in the museum

Wine shop

There are packaging bottles of Maotai liquor from different periods. They are not as exquisite as the current ones, but their value is extraordinary.

It turns out that the birth of the painting "So Many Beauties in the Country" was also attributed to Moutai.

You can also see the factory building of Moutai Co., Ltd. in the museum.

There is also a liquor culture city at the back. I also found a place selling liquor. Unfortunately, there is no Maotai. There are only Maotai Welcome Wine, Prince Wine and the like.

This exhibition hall is very modern. It not only has Moutai, but also a tour guide robot inside.

It turns out that Moutai has produced so many varieties! ! !

There was a little trouble with the parking at the door. Not long after I entered, a local called me and asked me to move my car. I said so and drove away, but they called me again and again. I had no choice but to go out. I was shocked when I saw it. There were two female traffic policemen at the door, and they drove all the cars away. Fortunately, I came out and drove the car a long way before I found a place to stop.

After leaving the museum, we returned to the Maotai Tiannong Scenic Area near the hotel. Unfortunately, it was no longer open. It was still open yesterday.

The location of the scenic spot is relatively high, looking towards the direction of Moutai Co., Ltd.

The whole town feels a bit like the Miao Village.

When I went out to walk around the town in the evening, I discovered that there is also the Chishui Memorial Hall for the Fourth Ranks of the Red Army. The museum is closed at night. This gun forest is relatively representative.

Across the bank from the memorial hall is the center of Maotai Town

Town centre

After going around and around, we actually came to the site of the old Maotai Distillery, which has now become a memorial site.

National key units

The winery of those days.

I walked to the back door of the museum I went to in the afternoon. I asked the guard why I didn’t see Maotai being sold in the museum. He asked me what time I entered. I said half past two. He replied that it was too late for me to find something better. Every day. 60 bottles, 30 bottles each in the morning and afternoon. You have to go in and grab it as soon as it opens at 2pm, it will be sold out in a blink of an eye.

Wine bottles in the central square

The fourth crossing of Chishui on the opposite bank commemorates the

In the evening, I returned to the hotel and chatted with the boss. The boss himself also owns a small winery. I happened to ask questions one by one based on what I heard from hearsay, and he answered them respectively. In fact, before the establishment of Moutai shares, this town was full of small private wine workshops, and everyone followed the traditional brewing method. However, the larger ones became bigger through public-private partnerships, and today's Feitian Moutai was created. . Coupled with the effect of economic laws, there will be a large number of small businesses of the same type around any main factory area, such as the steel industry and the bearing industry. First, it is easy to support the industrial chain, and second, there are talent groups, and retired talents from large companies will Get hired into a small business.

Why is the water in Chishui River so turbid? Can it be used to make wine?

The river level is sometimes muddy, but becomes clear after the Double Ninth Festival. The winery does not draw water all year round, but draws enough water for the whole year in just a few days and then stores it on its own.

(The actual reason is caused by changes in rainfall in the upper reaches. Every year from the Dragon Boat Festival to the Double Ninth Festival, when the rainy season comes, a large amount of purple-red soil is washed into the water, making the river water red; while between the Double Ninth Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival of the following year, the rainfall drops sharply. The river water is clear and transparent again. The boss is deliberately being mysterious.)

How many wineries are there?

Moutai Co., Ltd. occupies the best position in Moutai Town. There are about 1,000 small distilleries downstream, which is what we call Moutai Town Liquor.

Do all wines from small wineries have to be kept for five years?

They are all five years, unless the small winery needs to deal with it in advance due to financial problems, then it will take at least three years, and the taste will be sacrificed.

(Later, I asked friends in the industry for advice. They replied that this high-temperature fermented Maotai-flavor liquor tastes very bad when it first comes out. It must be kept for several years before it tastes good. This is the same as Moutai, which is older and has a better taste. reason)

Why don’t I see wine from small wineries on the market?

In fact, it is sold, but not many make brands. Most of the wines from small wineries are bought by other domestic wineries to make base wines. For example, my own winery sells its main production to Langjiu Group. .

Another famous Maotai-flavor wine is one with loud advertising. How is its quality?

It cannot be said that others are not good. It does not rule out that manufacturers buy base wine from small wineries and add Moutai products. The quality of the wine produced by blending the two wines will definitely not be bad.

Can the wine from a small winery have the same taste as Moutai?

If we want to make it the same, you will definitely not be able to drink it, but we will deliberately make some differences, otherwise it will be fake wine.

What is the price level?

The wine from a small winery costs 200 per bottle, which is quite high-end, and it can be customized if it costs more than one ton.

(It can be seen how large the profit margins of Moutai are, and the profit margins of small wineries that make independent brands outside are also large enough)

 

These words really made my trip worthwhile! ! ! !