In order to explore the effect of grapevine leafroll disease (GLD) on the aroma quality of wine, the Cabernet gernischt which was dominantly infected with GLD from the eastern foothill of Helan mountain in Ningxia was studied. The uninfected Cabernet gernischt was used as the control group to analyze the differences in sensory characteristics and volatile components of wine. The results showed that the infected Cabernet gernischt wine emanated traditional Chinese medicine smells, such as licorice, ageratum, and dried tangerine peel smell. While the uninfected Cabernet gernischt wine showed green odors, always considered as one of the typical aroma characteristics of this kind of wine. According to volatile components analysis, the content of higher alcohols and esters with fruity and floral flavors, and C₆ alcohols with green odors in the infected Cabernet gernischt wine were significant decreased, compared with the uninfected sample. The former also registered significantly higher contents of isoamyl laurate, ethyl palmitate, n-decyl alcohol, and 2,3-pentanedione with fatty smells. The results of gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry indicated that geranyl isovalerate, which has the characteristics of herbal aroma, was present in the infected Cabernet gernischt wine. Aroma reconstitution and aroma omission experiments confirmed that geranyl isovalerate could affect the aroma properties of traditional Chinese medicine in infected Cabernet gernischt wine. In this study, the wine aroma profiles of Cabernet gernischt infected with GLD were identified, and the underlying chemical basis was also explored, which aimed to provide a theoretical guidance to wine production and practice.