Aligned plain CdS and ternary Cd1-xZnxS nanowires were successfully fabricated via a non-catalytic and template-free MOCVD process. Aligned plain CdS and ternary Cd1-xZnxS nanowires were grown on top of a 1 ìm thick buffer layer formed in-situ on the substrate surface. The nanowires were with diameter of 20-30 nm and length of about 500-700 nm for different deposition temperatures. The energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the solid solution nature and hexagonal single crystalline structure of the ternary nanowires. From HRTEM images, the nanowires were found to grow along the [0001] direction of the hexagonal crystalline phase, which is the preferential growth direction of the hexagonal CdS crystals. The emission wavelength tunability of the ternary Cd1-xZnxS nanowires in photoluminescence was demonstrated and discussed.