## 1 Introduction  
The Gansu Hexi Corridor region is located in northwestern China, at latitudes of 36-40\({}^{\circ}\) N and altitudes of 1500-2000 m. It has the most suitable combination of water, soil, light, and heat resources for the production of wine grapes, as well as a profound cultural heritage and long history of winemaking [1]. This region is one of the high-quality wine producing areas in China. Hexi Corridor is windy and experiences little rainfall, with annual precipitation and evaporation of approximately 110.5 and 2646.4 mm, respectively [2]. The production regions from which the grapes used in this study were sourced are dominated by sierozem soils. Local cloudiness is scarce and the annual sunshine duration can be as long as 3297 h. The abundance of local light resources is conducive to the accumulation of material for crops. A previous study showed that the rapid accumulation of sugar and highly soluble solids and the sparse occurrence of pests and diseases in the region facilitate the production of high-quality wine grapes [3].  
The unique style and typicality of wine are influenced by the geographical location of the vineyard, local climate and soil, grape variety, planting method, fertility management, the winemaking process, aging environment, and other \"terroir\" factors [4]. Styleplays an extremely important role in the grape and wine industry, influencing consumer preferences [5]. The aroma characteristic of wine, influenced by the terror, is the main component of its style and is one of the most important factors that determine the quality of the wine, as organic acids, phenolics, and other flavor substances constitute the taste profile of the wine [6]. Therefore, an investigation of the prominent aromatic characteristics of a wine is important for understanding the distinctive style of its region of origin. Recently, many studies have been conducted on the regional aroma characteristics of wines. Because those wines were made from the same grape variety, the wines from various regions were presented with unique regional chemical matrices and aromatic attributes [7; 8]. Likewise, Vidal icewines from Canada and China had different characteristic sensory attributes, which were associated with acetates and alcohols and ethyls and terpenes, respectively [9]. Specifically, the sensory profiles of icewines from China were characterized by nut and honey aromas, while those from Canada had more caramel and rose aromas. Apart from Vidal icewines, the aromatic characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines from several regions in China have also been reported [10; 11].  
Currently, research on Hexi Corridor wines is focused on tracing their geographical origins and detecting the substances in the wines that affect food safety, such as biogenic amines and fungal toxins [3; 12]. Nonetheless, limited studies have been conducted on wine aroma. Thus, insufficient information on regional features of Hexi Corridor wines hindered shaping and development of local wine styles. To address this issue, 16 typical grape varieties/clones from Hexi Corridor, China were chosen to produce dry red wines with the indigenous commercial wine yeast, CECA. The resultant wines were characterized for aroma typicality of Hexi Corridor wines via analyzing their volatile and sensory profile. Subsequently, partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis was conducted to identify the outstanding aroma characteristics and the corresponding volatile compounds. This study provides substantial insights into the regional characteristics of dry red wines sourced from Hexi Corridor, which can contribute to the diverse expression of aroma characteristics in wines from high-quality wine regions in China.