Abstract: Wild grape resources are abundant in China, but their utilization is limited. In order to reveal the quality differences among different Chinese wild grape species and lay the theoretial foundation for further utilization, 10 Chinese wild grape species (46 lines) and four different control populations were investigated with regard to their quality characteristics, phenolics content and antioxidant activity. The results showed that: 1) the single berry mass of Cabernet Sauvignon was higher than that of all wild grape species except V. davidii, but the mass ratio of skin to whole berry of Cabernet Sauvignon was lower; 2) the sugar composition of Chinese wild grapes was similar to that of the controls without significant differences observed in the contents of fructose and glucose, but total sugar content was significantly lower in Chinese wild grapes than in Cabernet Sauvignon and Hutai No. 8. Total acid contents in all Chinese wild grape species except V. davidii were significantly higher than those in Cabernet Sauvignon and Hutai No. 8. The ratio of tartaric acid to malic acid in Chinese wild grapes was lower than that in Cabernet Sauvignon, indicating that Chinese wild grapes belonged to the type of high malic acid. The contents of sugar and acid in Chinese wild grape were relatively closer to those in V. riparia and V. rotundifolia. Compared with Cabernet Sauvignon and Hutai No. 8, with high sugars and low acids, Chinese wild grapes belonged to the species with low sugars and low acids; 3) the phenolics contents and antioxidant activity of Chinese wild grapes had a wide range, with most species being similar to Cabernet Sauvignon. The content of anthocyanins in Chinese wild grapes was higher than that in the controls. In conclusion, the wild grapes of V. yanshanensis, V. bryoniaefolia and V. davidii have good quality based on their similarity to Sauvignon and Hutai No. 8 in terms of sugar and acid compositions, phenol contents and antioxidant activity.

Key words: Chinese wild grape, sugar and acid compositions, quality evaluation, phenolics, antioxidant activity