Making Rosé wine - questions on how to start

[Sashie]

I have a number of winemaking books but none of them have much information on making rosé. Some of my questions:

When picking grapes (cab and merlot) for rosé, what should the brix be? As high as if we were making a red wine? I have been having trouble with bees and it looks like my whites are destroyed. Hoping I can pick early before they go after my reds.

Should I be following a red wine recipe - add meta, crush, add yeast, leave on skins (until desired color) and then press? And you press even with fermentation going on? And after pressing, follow white wine recipe ... into carboy and ferment cooler?

We have never made reds.

 

[Deezil]

Should I be following a red wine recipe - add meta, crush, add yeast, leave on skins (until desired color) and then press? And you press even with fermentation going on? And after pressing, follow white wine recipe ... into carboy and ferment cooler

That's my take on it, yep.. But i've never done it myself either.. Hopefully someone a little more knowledgeable chimes in here..

I've also read the thought of splitting the batch up as it comes out of the press - free run, light press & hard press.. They'll have different levels of tannins / color / etc.. The harder pressed will be harsher than the free run - you can use the different levels in the end, to blend together and get the right color, structure & flavors

 

[altavino]

You will want to treat it like a white wine .

Look for 20-22 brix and TA 6.5 to 7 .

Crush sulfite pitch and ferment on the skins for a day or two then press and ferment cool like a white wine.

 

[Sashie]

I don't have that many grapes to separate free run, light press, etc. My plan is not to press too hard.

We made Rosé in 2010 but followed my white wine recipe - crush, sulfite, - left on skins for three hours (got the color we wanted fast) press and then added yeast. We pressed hard and added water - mistake. Although the wine was drinkable, it didn't have any fruitiness taste we like - not saying we like sweet wine but some fruit taste.

I know the some vineyards in my area have started picking for rosé, I'm going to check the brix today.

thanks