The molecular mechanism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae tolerant to ethanol stress remains to be further elucidated. In this study, a comprehensive analysis based on RNA-seq and iTRAQ LC-MS/MS was used to investigate the global mechanism of S. cerevisiae strain Sc131 in response to ethanol stress at transcriptomic and proteomic levels. Totally, 937 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 457 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in Sc131 under ethanol stress. Results revealed that 4-h ethanol stress (10% v/v) can induce filamentous growth, sexual reproduction. Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) were proved to be two important organelles in resisting ethanol stress. Signal transduction such as G-protein coupled receptor signaling and metal ion regulation were remarkably activated at the presence of ethanol. Moreover, silent information regulator (Sir) proteins and aromatic amino acids especially tryptophan were involved in response to ethanol and might be helpful for cell survival. This study provides a global perspective on the mechanism of S. cerevisiae tolerant to ethanol stress and sheds light on the potential application of Sc131 in Chinese bayberry wine brewing. Biological significanceIt is of great importance for S. cerevisiae to tolerate high levels of ethanol during wine fermentation. However, the molecular mechanism of S. cerevisiae tolerant to ethanol stress remains to be further elucidated at transcriptomic and proteomic levels. In present study, we employed a comprehensive analysis based on RNA-seq and iTRAQ and found several potential pathways involving in the response of Sc131 to ethanol stress. To our knowledge, this is the first integrated analysis combining transcriptomic and proteomic technologies to study the mechanism of Sc131 under ethanol stress.