Rice wine, also known as fermented rice and sweet wine, was formerly called "Yi". It is made of glutinous rice, which is a traditional wine of Han nationality.

The main raw material is glutinous rice, so it is also called glutinous rice wine. Nine niang is generally called "rice wine" or "sweet wine" in the north. A sweet rice wine is made by mixed fermentation of steamed glutinous rice and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a special microbial yeast).

Its brewing process is simple and its taste is sweet and mellow. Alcohol content is extremely low, so it is deeply loved by people. China has a long history of brewing wine with high-quality coarse glutinous rice for more than 1000 years. Rice wine has become a daily drink for farmers. Modern rice wine is mostly produced in factories.