Elemental profiles are frequently applied to identify the geographical origin and authenticity of food products, to guarantee quality. The concentrations of fifteen major, minor, and trace elements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Li, Cd, Cs, and Ba) were determined in soils, “Meili” grapes, and wines from six regions in China by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The elemental concentrations in these samples, according to the geographical origins, were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Duncan’s multiple comparisons. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) from soil to grape and the transfer factor (TF) from grape to wine were calculated. Mg, K, Ca, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Ba presented higher BCF values than the other seven elements. The TF values of six elements (Na, Mg, K, Zn, Li, and Cs) were found to be greater than one. Moreover, the correlation of element content between the pairs of soil–grape, grape–wine, and bioconcentration factor (BCF)–environmental factor were analyzed. Significant correspondences among soil, grape, and wine were observed for K and Li. Two elements (Sr and Li) showed significant correlations between BCF and environmental factor (relative humidity, temperature, and latitude). A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with three variables (K, Sr, Li) revealed a high accuracy (>90%) to determine the geographical origin for different Chinese regions.

Due to the particularity of the continental monsoon climate in China, more than 90% of the wine grape cultivation areas require vines to be buried in winter for a burial period that can extend to half a year. Additionally, traditional vine cultivation practices can expose the surface of the soil during winter, easily leading to soil erosion. To meet the restrictive factors for viticulture in the Chinese cold climate zone, a new sustainable viticulture strategy called crawled cordon mode (CCM) has been developed. CCM includes crawled cordon training (CCT), physical methods of flower and fruit thinning, winter suspension of shoots, the use of a biodegradable liquid film, and covering of grass and branches for simplified management of vineyards. This article summarizes the specific implementation methods of the main measures of CCM and their significant effects on the quality of grapes and wine, ecological environment, and costs, and aims to provide inspiration for the study of sustainable and eco-friendly cultivation measures for vineyards in other cold climate zones.

Given that the global winegrape planting area is 7.2 × 10⁶ hm², the potential for winegrape crop-mediated carbon capture and storage as an approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions warranted further research. Herein, we employed an allometric model of various winegrape organs to assess biomass distributions, and we evaluated the carbon storage distribution characteristics associated with vineyard ecosystems in the Hongsibu District of Ningxia. We found that the total carbon storage of the Vitis vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ vineyard ecosystem was 55.35 t·hm⁻², of which 43.12 t·hm⁻² came from the soil, while the remaining 12.23 t·hm⁻² was attributable to various vine components including leaves (1.85 t·hm⁻²), fruit (2.16 t·hm⁻²), canes (1.83 t·hm⁻²), perennial branches (2.62 t·hm⁻²), and roots (3.78 t·hm⁻²). Together, these results suggested that vineyards can serve as an effective carbon sink, with the majority of carbon being sequestered at the soil surface. Within the grapevines themselves, most carbon was stored in perennial organs including perennial branches and roots. Allometric equations based on simple and practical biomass and biometric measurements offer a means whereby grape-growers and government entities responsible for ecological management can better understand carbon distribution patterns associated with vineyards.

Land desertification is a global environmental problem, leading to the deterioration of the ecological environment and is an issue that threatens humans. Hongsibu, located in Ningxia, northwest China, is a semi-desert area with the largest domestic single-site ecological resettlement area for poverty alleviation based on the wine industry. Here, we quantified the value of the ecosystem services of the wine industry in Hongsibu and used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to quantitatively evaluate the comprehensive benefits of the wine industry for resolving desertification. We found that winegrapes significantly increase vegetation cover, while significantly decreasing blowing sand and generating a total annual value of ecosystem services of 6.13× 10⁸ RMB. The evaluation score of the comprehensive benefits is 81.85%, with grape growers and chateaus obtaining large economic benefits from the wine industry. In conclusion, the wine industry’s development not only enhances the economic level of grape growers but significantly resolves desertification in impoverished areas—thus alleviating poverty and land degradation, contributing to sustainable development. Therefore, this may be an effective strategy for sustainable development in other parts of the world.

Winegrapes are an important component of agroecosystems. They are endowed with great potential to sequester and store carbon to slow down greenhouse gas emissions. Herein, the biomass of grapevines was determined, and the carbon storage and distribution features of vineyard ecosystems were correspondingly analyzed using an allometric model of winegrape organs. Then, the carbon sequestration of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the Helan Mountain East Region was quantified. It was found that the total carbon storage of grapevines increased with vine age. The amounts of the total carbon storage in the 5-year-old, 10-year-old, 15-year-old, and 20-year-old vineyards were 50.22 t·ha⁻¹, 56.73 t·ha⁻¹, 59.10 t·ha⁻¹, and 61.06 t·ha⁻¹, respectively. The soil held the majority of the carbon storage, which was concentrated in the top and subsurface layers (0–40 cm) of the soil. Moreover, the biomass carbon storage was mainly distributed in the perennial organs (perennial branches and roots). In young vines, carbon sequestration increased each year; however, the increased rate in carbon sequestration decreased with winegrape growth. The results indicated that vineyards have a net carbon sequestration capacity, and within certain years, the age of grapevines was found to be positively correlated with the amount of carbon sequestration. Overall, the present study provided accurate estimations of the biomass carbon storage in grapevines using the allometric model, which may help vineyards become recognized as important carbon sinks. Additionally, this research can also be used as a basis for figuring out the ecological value of vineyards on a regional scale.

Biodegradable liquid mulch film (LF), which can be degraded naturally without harming the environment, is a new type of covering material that provides an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic mulch film (PF). In this study, the effects of LF and PF (ploughing (CK) used as a control) on the soil and fruit quality of Hutai-8 were evaluated through an experiment, and several soil physicochemical properties and indicators of fruit quality were measured. In-row mulching significantly increased the content of total potassium, available phosphorus, and available potassium in the topsoil (0–20 cm), the ripeness of the grape berries, and the content of phenolics in the skin. The effects were consistent between the two years. The effect of LF was more pronounced in the same year, indicating that LF is an effective alternative to PF. Therefore, LF can be used as an environmentally friendly substitute for PF to improve soil and fruit quality and incorporated into cultivation management plans. Correlation analysis revealed that the content of reducing sugars, flavonoids, total phenols, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins, as well as fruit ripeness, increased as the content of total potassium, available phosphorus, and available potassium in the soil increased.