Our Story

From Shaoxing, China to Portland, Oregon

Scott J. Thurman, is the founder and President of Chinese Rice Wine LLC (CRW),  a Portland, Oregon based company that imports rice wine from China.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah, and his International MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona.  Scott has spent more than twenty years living and working in Asia.  Scott speaks highly proficient Cantonese and has a working knowledge of Mandarin.

The concept of starting his own business was conceived in November 2006 during one of Scott’s many trips to China as a Business Development Manager for Intel Corporation.  One evening, Scott joined several of his colleagues for dinner at a restaurant in Shanghai that served a unique local cuisine.  As they entered the restaurant Scott noticed several large, ancient looking, stone casks, that were recently used to transport something liquid.  He learned that the liquid was a world-renowned rice wine that was brewed in a town called Shaoxing, not far from Shanghai.   A few months later, Scott and his wife were preparing to host a Chinese New Year’s party for their friends, when Scott remembered the Chinese rice wine he had enjoyed in Shanghai and decided to serve it at their upcoming party.  However, he was unable to find any “drinking quality” CRW in Portland, and when his search online turned up nothing as well, he determined that this may be an interesting business opportunity.

Chinese rice wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented glutinous rice.  It is perhaps the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world, with a recorded history beginning several thousand years B.C.  Chinese rice wines in general, have a robust nutty flavor like an old port or dry Sherry, and have an alcohol content that is typically around 16 percent.

The History of Chinese Rice Wine.

Some historians believe that Chinese rice wine has been around for over 6000 years!  Chinese rice wine (a.k.a. “yellow wine”, “Huang Jiu” or “Shaoxing wine” has played a major role in the history of China. It has had an impact on China’s religions, politics and economy.  It has influenced emperors, chairmen, comrades, peasants, and poets.

Shaoxing is a charming water town, in the northeastern section of the Zhejiang province of China, about 100 miles South of Shanghai.  A small(ish) city, as Chinese cities go, claiming a population of 4.3 million. Though the area has undergone a rampant redevelopment, it still retains an amiable and breezy image with it’s arched bridges, winding canals and antiquated residences.

Besides being the home of Shaoxing wine, it was also the birthplace of many influential and colorful figures over the centuries.  Cai Yuanpei, a famous educator was born in Shaoxing, as was late Premier Zhou Enlai, Lu You, the beloved warrior poet, Lu Xun, China’s first great modern novelist, and Yu the Great, the mythical “flood tamer”.

But Shaoxing is not just about poems, rivers, lakes and it’s excellent wine.  Shaoxing also has a history of quality silk which has helped transform this area into a juggernaut of the textile industry.  Approximately 30,000 looms spin out a staggering 3 million meters of textile annually.