Xinjiang is a major wine-making region in China, but its hot climate in summer and intense sun exposure negatively affect the aroma quality of Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The aim of this study was to characterize and differentiate the volatile composition of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from two clones (169 and 191) in Xinjiang, and to study their aromatic profile evolution during 12-month oak barrel aging period. Results showed that before aging, clone 169 wine contained higher concentrations of several alcohols and ethyl esters, while acetate esters and furanic compounds were higher in clone 191 wine. After aging, levels of many terpenes, norisoprenoids, volatile phenols and phenolic aldehydes were significantly higher in clone 169 wine than 191 wine. Aroma series analysis revealed that clone 169 wine exhibited higher floral and roasty aromas after aging, while clone 191 wine had stronger chemical aroma. Principal component analysis indicated that aging process played a primary role in the alteration of volatile profile in these wines. Clone played a secondary role and oak barrel had a tertiary contribution to the variation. The present work indicates that clone 169 is a better choice for producing high-quality aged Cabernet Sauvignon wine with intense and elegant aroma in Xinjiang.

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.

Hawthorn wine has gained increasing popularity in China, but comprehensive research on its sensory and chemical characteristics is still limited. This study established a sensory lexicon using Pivot Profile to describe and differentiate Chinese hawthorn wines. Based on the sensory data, 13 hawthorn wines presented three different styles, namely ‘Sweet’, ‘Fruity’ and ‘Alcohol’. A total of 129 volatile compounds were identified and quantified in all hawthorn wines using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with both gas chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap-MS) and gas chromatography-Quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-Quadrupole-MS). Partial least-squares regression revealed that ‘sweet’, ‘hawthorn’, and ‘honey’ attributes were positively correlated with several terpenes, volatile phenols, lactones, ethyl cinnamate, nonanal and phenylacetaldehyde, as well as sugar content, while negatively correlated with alcohol content. Furthermore, a salting-out effect of certain terpenes and volatile phenols was observed with increasing sucrose concentration, potentially enhancing the perceived intensity of these above attributes.

Cluster thinning has been widely applied in yield management and its effect on green leaf volatiles (GLVs) in wines has seldom been studied. GLVs are important flavor compositions for grapes and wines. This work aimed to investigate the impact of cluster thinning on these volatiles and their precursors in grapes and wines. Severe cluster thinning (CT1) and medium cluster thinning (CT2) were performed on Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines in two sites (G-farm and Y-farm) from Xinjiang province in the Northwest of China. The impact of cluster thinning treatments on the accumulation of GLVs and their precursors, long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) of grape berries and C₆ volatiles, in resulting wines was investigated. Multivariate analysis showed that cluster thinning treatments induced significant changes in fruit and wine composition in both farms. In Y-farm, medium cluster thinning (CT2) significantly increased the average cluster weight of harvested berries. Additionally, both cluster thinning treatments (CT1 and CT2) increased fatty acids in harvested berries and CT2 led to an increase in C₆ esters and a decrease in C₆ alcohols in the wines of Y-farm under the warmer and drier 2012 vintage. However, the effect of cluster thinning was likely negative in G-farm due to its wetter soil and excessive organic matter. The treatments may be applicable for local grape growers to improve viticultural practices for the more balanced vegetative and reproductive growth of Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines. This work also provided further knowledge on the regulation of fatty acids and the derived C₆ volatiles through the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway.