"We want to learn from the experience of red wine and sake, and compete with red wine in China, and see rice wine leap from the city to the country, and from wedding banquet tables to family dinner tables."

Soon after Fan set up his business he started trying other new rice wines, but now there are so many that it is impossible to taste them all, he says.

The Beijing photographer Lu says her favorite rice wine brand is Nuoyan, founded in 2014 by Huang Yu, a winemaker and designer. Lu says she enjoys both its original and sparkling versions.

After three years' development, Huang, 41, has created 13 rice wines and a boutique winery in Fujian province, together with two wine shops in Beijing.