AbstractHigh‐temperature stress markedly influences grape growth and development. However, how high‐temperature stress response differs between controlled and field‐cultivated grape is poorly understood. In this study, the effects of heat treatment on grapevines were studied for changes in photosystem II (PSII) activity and expression levels of heat‐responsive genes and heat shock protein HSP21. July 31st, 2015 was considered as the post high‐temperature treatment (“42°C”; temperatures above 40°C for a period of time each day ranging from 1–7 h) under field cultivation in our experiment. The recovery of chlorophyll fluorescence indicators and the increasing expression of heat‐responsive genes and the heat shock protein HSP21 suggested the development of heat tolerance in the form of acclimation in grape. Changes in various parameters of photosynthetic pigment fluorescence and of the electron transport chain (Fv/Fm, PIABS, Wk, RCQA, ΦPo, and ΦEo) between “42°C” and the 45°C treatment demonstrated that the donor side, reaction center, and acceptor side of PSII were influenced by a critical high temperature. Furthermore, the difference between the two cultivation conditions studied was attributed to other environmental factors and inherent tree vigor.