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Wine makers seal yellow rice wine into jars in Shaoxing. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

The air in Shaoxing, East China’s Zhejiang province is filled with the sweet aroma of the region's most famous export -- Shaoxing yellow rice wine, local media reported on Feb 17.

At Kuaijishan Shaoxing Wine Co, workers toil tirelessly in the production workshop, using specialized press machines to filter the fermented wine mash into a clear liquid.

With an impressive fleet of 150 such machines at their disposal, they can produce a staggering 300 tons of wine per day. The wine must undergo further processing, including boiling, bottling and storage, before the winter brewing of the coveted yellow wine is complete.

A worker inspects yellow rice wine jars. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

Workers must press, clarify, sterilize, bottle and store the fermented wine mash before the temperature rises, giving it the time it needs to mature into the fully-flavored yellow wine that has made the town famous.

Shaoxing is home to over 50 yellow wine production and operation companies, making it one of the largest production and sales bases of yellow rice wine in China. In 2022, the region achieved an industrial output value of approximately 5 billion yuan ($726.5 million).