The environmental conditions of wine regions determine the flavor characteristics of wine. The characterization of the chemical composition and sensory profiles of young Marselan wines from five wine-producing regions in China was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS), high-performance liquid chromatography–triple-quadrupole MS/MS and descriptive analysis. Young Marselan wines can be successful discriminated based on concentrations of volatile compounds, but not phenolic compounds, by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis according to regions. Compared to Jiaodong Peninsula (JDP) and Bohai Bay (BHB) regions, there were relatively lower average concentrations of varietal volatiles (mainly including β-citronellol, geraniol, and (E)-β-damasenone) and several fermentation aroma compounds (including isoamyl acetate, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, ethyl decanoate, etc.) but higher levels of acetic acid in Xinjiang (XJ), Loess Plateau (LP), and Huaizhuo Basin (HZB) regions, which were related to their characteristic environmental conditions. Marselan wines from HZB, LP, and XJ regions were characterized by lower L values and higher a and C_ab values. Marselan wines from XJ were discriminated from the wines from other regions due to their higher concentrations of several flavonols. Sensory analysis indicated that Marselan wines from HZB region were characterized by relatively low intensities of floral and fruity aromas compared to other regions.

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.

As one of the most promising wine regions in China, the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain (EFHM) in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has attracted great attention recently. Geographically, EFHM is divided into six sub-regions, namely Shizuishan, Xixia, Helan, Qingtongxia, Yongning and Hongsipu. However, there have been few reports on the character and differences between wines in the six sub-regions. In this experiment, a total of 71 commercial Cabernet Sauvignon wines from six sub-regions were collected, and their phenolic compounds, visual properties and mouthfeel were investigated. The results showed that wines from the six sub-regions of EFHM showed distinctive phenolic profiles and could be distinguished through the OPLS-DA mode using 32 potential markers. In terms of color, Shizuishan wines showed higher a* values and lower b* values. The sensory evaluation showed that Hongsipu wines had higher astringency strength and lower tannin texture. The overall results implied that the phenolic compounds of wines in different sub-regions were affected by terroir conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a wide coverage of phenolic compounds has been analysed for wines from the sub-regions of EFHM, which could provide valuable information in deciphering the terroir of EFHM.

The microbial terroir is an indispensable part of the terroir panorama, and can improve wine quality with special characteristics. In this study, eight autochthonous yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), selected in Huailai country, China, were trailed in small-scale and pilot fermentations for both white (Riesling and Sémillon) and red (Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah) wines and evaluated by GC-MS analysis and the rate-all-that-apply (RATA) method. Compared to commercial yeast strains, the indigenous yeasts were able to produce higher concentrations of ethyl esters and fatty acid ethyl esters, and higher alcohol, resulting in higher odor activity values of fruity, floral attributes. Marked varietal effects were observed in the pilot fermentation, but yeast strains exerted a noticeable impact in modulating wine aroma and sensory profile. Overall, indigenous yeast could produce more preferred aroma compounds and sensory characteristics for both white and red wines, demonstrating the potential for improving wine quality and regional characteristics.

Many customers prefer goji berry pulp, well-known for its high nutritional content, over fresh goji berries. However, there is limited research on its sensory lexicon and distinctive flavor compounds. This study focused on developing a sensory lexicon for goji berry pulp and characterizing its aroma by sensory and instrumental analysis. Sensory characteristics of goji berry pulp were evaluated by our established lexicon. A total of 83 aromatic compounds in goji berry pulp were quantified using HS-SPME-GC-Orbitrap-MS. By employing OAV in combination, we identified 17 aroma-active compounds as the key ingredients in goji berry pulp. Then, we identified the potentially significant contributors to the aroma of goji berry pulp by combining principal component analysis and partial least squares regression (PLSR) models of aroma compounds and sensory attributes, which included 3-ethylphenol, methyl caprylate, 2-hydroxy-4-methyl ethyl valerate, benzeneacetic acid, ethyl ester, hexanal, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, acetylpyrazine, butyric acid, 2-ethylhexanoic acid, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 1-pentanol, phenylethyl alcohol, and 2-nonanone. This study provides a theoretical basis for improving the quality control and processing technology of goji berry pulp.