酒文化是文化百花園中的一朵奇葩，源遠流長、根深葉茂，自出現至今已發展了數千年，具有鮮明的時代烙印。
本書以中華民族悠久的酒文化為主線，運用生動樸實的語言詳盡地介紹了我國的美酒趣聞，其涉及美酒溯源、傳說、典故、文化內涵及制作方法等諸多方面，集趣味性、知識性與文化性於一體。飽覽此書，猶如暢遊浩瀚的中華美酒長河，不亦樂乎！

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