Several studies have revealed that fruit-zone leaf removal could change the microclimate of grapevine growth, thereby causing complex effects on fruit composition. This study analyzed the profiles of volatiles in Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) grapes exposed to leaf removal treatment at different phenological periods in three continuous years. The treatments (leaf removal before flowering, after flowering, and veraison) were applied to Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines grown in Yantai (Shandong, China). Berry samples were harvested at maturation to determine the chemical composition, including total soluble solids, phenols, and volatiles. Leaf removal (particularly before flowering) could increase total soluble solids and phenols (anthocyanins, flavonols, and tartaric esters). Volatiles greatly changed in the different years, and leaf removal before flowering could increase the concentration of amino acid-derived volatiles and isoprene-derived volatiles compared with leaf removal after flowering or at veraison. This research provides a basis for further studies on optimizing Cabernet Sauvignon aroma and breeding in vineyards.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) is one of the major economic fruit crops but suffers many diseases, causing damage to the quality of grapes. Strain G166 was isolated from the rhizosphere of grapevine and was found to exhibited broad-spectrum antagonistic activities against fungal pathogens on grapes in vitro, such as Coniella diplodiella, Botrytis cinerea, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that G166 contained a 6,613,582 bp circular chromosome with 5749 predicted coding DNA sequences and an average GC content of 60.57%. TYGS analysis revealed that G166 belongs to Pseudomonas viciae. Phenotype analysis indicated that P. viciae G166 remarkably reduced the severity of grape white rot disease in the grapevine. After inoculation with C. diplodiella, more H₂O₂ and MDA accumulated in the leaves and resulted in decreases in the Pn and chlorophyll content. Conversely, G166-treated grapevine displayed less oxidative damage with lower H₂O₂ levels and MDA contents under the pathogen treatments. Subsequently, G166-treated grapevine could sustain a normal Pn and chlorophyll content. Moreover, the application of P. viciae G166 inhibited the growth of mycelia on detached leaves and berries, while more disease symptoms occurred in non-bacterized leaves and berries. Therefore, P. viciae G166 served as a powerful bioagent against grape white rot disease. Using antiSMASH prediction and genome comparisons, a relationship between non-ribosomal peptide synthase clusters and antifungal activity was found in the genome of P. viciae G166. Taken together, P. viciae G166 shows promising antifungal potential to improve fruit quality and yield in ecological agriculture.

Vintage and vineyard-specific variation are important components of terroir expression, but their relative contributions are difficult to distinguish using broad soil descriptors. We examined Chardonnay berries from six commercial vineyards in Shandong, China, representing three prespecified soil-texture classes across 2022 and 2023. Berry physicochemical traits and semi-quantitative volatile profiles were assessed using replicated vineyard sampling and HS-SPME-GC-MS, with vineyard as the independent inferential unit. In 2023, pH declined and hundred-berry weight increased at all vineyards; these univariate patterns did not pass FDR correction. The multivariate volatile profile differed between vintages under three abundance-preserving analyses (exact p = 0.0313), whereas the Hellinger analysis of within-sample relative composition did not support the same contrast (p = 0.3438). Total volatile abundances followed opposing trajectories among vineyards, including sites assigned to the same soil-texture class. No compound, volatile class or berry trait provided an FDR-controlled soil-texture-class signature. The results identify a vintage-associated multivariate pattern dependent on abundance information and marked vineyard-specific heterogeneity, underscoring the importance of distinguishing seasonal contrasts, site context and analytical representation when interpreting Chardonnay terroir.

Integrated assessments of commercial Chardonnay wines from East Asia remain limited. This study compared wines from eight wineries—four in the Shandong Peninsula (China) and four in the Chugoku region (Japan)—across two vintages (2022–2023), with one bottle analyzed per winery–vintage combination, yielding 16 commercial wine observations. Physicochemical, HS-SPME-GC-MS volatile, sensory, and growing-season climate data were integrated. Among the sampled commercial wines, Chugoku wines generally showed higher acid retention and stronger floral–citrus characteristics, whereas Shandong wines were more fruit-forward, with higher fruity ester contributions in several 2023 samples. Exploratory climate–composition analysis identified a negative association between GDD and total terpenoids after FDR correction, whereas other associations did not remain significant after multiple-testing correction. These results indicate regional and vintage-associated differences among the sampled commercial wines. Because vinification practices and post-bottling factors were not fully controlled, climate–composition relationships should be interpreted as exploratory rather than causal.