This paper describes the irradiation technique for accelerating the mellowness of Shaoxing wine filled with oxygen and nitrogen and the analysis of the amino-acid composition of the irradiated wine. The sensory evaluations during storage after treatment and determination of a number of indexes derived from chemical tests of the wine were also carried out.

The results showed: Irradiation with appropriate doses shortened the period of wine mellowness

i.e.

the wine became more fragrant with its flavour more mellow

sweet and

delicious and its components more co-ordinated. Its content of volatile ester was also increased.

We found it advisable to have the wine filled with oxygen during irradiation

which proved to be conducive to significant enhancement in the wine-mellowness both in fragrance and flavour

and more volatile ester content than that of the control

The irradiated wine kept 17 kinds of original amino acids

and an increase in amount of amino acids necessary to human body.