Du Kang

Du Kang is traditionally believed to have lived during the Xia or Zhou dynasties and to have invented the method of fermenting grain into wine, earning him veneration across later ages as the Ancestor of Wine and Sage of Wine. His name entered eternal literary fame through Cao Cao’s line in the 'Short Song Ballad': 'What dispels sorrow? Only Du Kang'—a phrase that transformed Du Kang into a poetic synonym for fine wine itself. Throughout history, breweries and taverns enshrined Du Kang’s spirit tablet, and each new vintage was inaugurated with incense offerings and ritual worship, praying for mellow, rich-tasting wine and flourishing business. Disputes over Du Kang’s historical legacy persist among Ru’yang and Yichuan counties in Henan Province and Baishui County in Shaanxi Province—testament to his profound and enduring influence. Du Kang embodies China’s millennia-old wine-ritual culture and the sophisticated wisdom of traditional fermentation craftsmanship.