The differences in chemical and sensory characteristics between Marselan and Cabernet Sauvignon in China were investigated with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-QqQ-MS/MS), combined with color parameters and sensory data. The paired t-test results showed that terpenoids, higher alcohols, and aliphatic lactones were significantly different according to the grape variety. Meanwhile, terpenoids could be considered as marker aroma compounds to distinguish Marselan wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, which could explain the distinct floral note in Marselan wines. The mean concentrations of the mv-vsol, mv-vgol, mv-vcol, mvC-vgol, mv-v(e)cat, mvC-v(e)cat, mv-di(e)cat, and cafA were higher in Marselan wines than Cabernet Sauvignon wines, and these compounds might confer Marselan wines with a deeper color, more red hue, and higher tannin quality. The phenolic profiles of Marselan and Cabernet Sauvignon wines were influenced by the winemaking process, mitigating the varietal differences. As for sensory evaluation, the intensities of herbaceous, oak, and astringency of Cabernet Sauvignon were more pronounced than Marselan, whereas the Marselan wines were characterized by a high color intensity and more redness, together with floral, sweet, and roasted sweet potato attributes, and tannin roughness.

To elucidate the effects of the different terroir on wine aroma in six sub-regions of Eastern Foothills of Helan Mountain in Ningxia, a premium wine-producing region in China, 71 Cabernet Sauvignon wines were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), check-all-that-apply (CATA), and quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). The bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (O2PLS-DA) results showed that the Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wines from Xixia (XX) and Yongning (YN) had similar volatile profiles due to their geographical proximity and were characterized by higher concentrations of esters, higher alcohols, and volatile phenols because the similar aromatic profiles were detected in their dry red wines. Shizuishan (SZS) and Hongsipu (HSP) wines showed clear differences compared to the wines of the other four sub-regions, being mainly characterized by relatively higher phenolic aldehydes and volatile phenols. The concentrations of methoxypyrazines and norisoprenoids varied mainly depending on the climate diversity of the sub-regions. The highest 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) concentration was presented in the Helan (HL) wines. The Qingtongxia (QTX) wines have the highest β-damascenone, which might be influenced by the fact that QTX has the lowest effective accumulated temperature and the highest sunshine duration among the five sub-regions. Esters including ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, and isoamyl acetate were the highest in HL. Additionally, the herbaceous, black berry, and red berry notes in HL and QTX were the most outstanding.

Sensory interactions exist between 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines and various volatiles in wines. In this study, the binary blending of Cabernet Franc wines containing high levels of MPs and three monovarietal red wines with two proportions was conducted after fermentation. Volatiles were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and wines were evaluated by quantitative descriptive analysis at three-month intervals during six-month bottle aging. Results showed blending wines exhibited lower intensity of ‘green pepper’, especially CFC samples blended by Cabernet Sauvignon wines with an even higher concentration of 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP). Based on Pearson correlation analysis, acetates could promote the expression of ‘tropical fruity’ and suppress ‘green pepper’ caused by IBMP. Positive correlation was observed among ‘green pepper’, ‘herbaceous’, and ‘berry’. The concentration balance between IBMP and other volatiles associated with ‘green pepper’ and fruity notes was further investigated through sensory experiments in aroma reconstitution. Higher pleasant fruity perception was obtained with the concentration proportion of 1-hexanol (1000 μg/L), isoamyl acetate (550 μg/L), ethyl hexanoate (400 μg/L), and ethyl octanoate (900 μg/L) as in CFC samples. Blending wines with proper concentration of those volatiles would be efficient to weaken ‘green pepper’ and highlight fruity notes, which provided scientific theory on sensory modification of IBMP through blending technique.

Bottle aging is the final stage before wines are drunk, and is considered as a maturation time when many chemical changes occur. To get a better understanding of the evolution of wines’ flavor profile, the flavor compounds (phenolic and volatile compounds), dissolved oxygen (DO), and flavor characters (OAVs and chromatic parameters) of rosé and dry white wines bottled with different closures were determined after 18 months’ bottle aging. The results showed the main phenolic change trends of rosé wines were decreasing while the trends of white wines were increasing, which could be the reason for their unique DO changing behaviors. Volatile compounds could be clustered into fluctuating, increasing, and decreasing groups using k-means algorithm. Most volatile compounds, especially some long-chain aliphatic acid esters (octanoates and decanoates), exhibited a lower decrease rate in rosé wines sealed with natural corks and white wines with screw caps. After 18 months of bottle aging, wines treated with natural corks and their alternatives could be distinguished into two groups based on flavor compounds via PLS-DA. As for flavor characters, the total intensity of aroma declined obviously compared with their initial counterparts. Rosé wines exhibit visual difference in color, whereas such a phenomenon was not observed in white wines.