Must I add sugar? What happens if I don't?

[Sashie]

I am making a rose wine. I just pressed and tested for sugar and the Brix is 19. i am looking to make a dry, fruit-forward (fruity?) wine. The bees did a lot of damage to my grapes, so all i have to work with is 1-1/2 gallons.

What happens if i don't add more sugar? Will I just have a lower alcohol wine or will it affect the taste of the wine? will it affect fermentation process?

i haven't added yeast yet.
thanks

 

[robie]

I am making a rose wine. I just pressed and tested for sugar and the Brix is 19. i am looking to make a dry, fruit-forward (fruity?) wine. The bees did a lot of damage to my grapes, so all i have to work with is 1-1/2 gallons.

What happens if i don't add more sugar? Will I just have a lower alcohol wine or will it affect the taste of the wine? will it affect fermentation process?

i haven't added yeast yet.
thanks

It will have lower alcohol, but usually, one wants a rose to have a lower ABV. Any wine needs to be in balance - the alcohol level compared to the acid (and sweetness, for a sweet wine). So the lower alcohol could affect balance. I would make sure the acid and PH are good, ferment it, then later taste test to determine if it is OK. I'll bet it will be fine as it presently is. (You didn't say what variety of grape it is.)

 

[Sashie]

It is merlot and cab blend. The acid is in range. I didn't check ph

when you say taste test, I'm assuming you mean after the fermentation process is complete. What happens if I find it needs sugar? Just add sugar and then add sorbate so that it doesn't start fermenting again?

 

[robie]

It is merlot and cab blend. The acid is in range. I didn't check ph

when you say taste test, I'm assuming you mean after the fermentation process is complete. What happens if I find it needs sugar? Just add sugar and then add sorbate so that it doesn't start fermenting again?

Yes, taste after it is clear and near ready to drink.
It likely won't need sugar unless you prefer sugar. If you add sugar, yes, you should always add sorbate. I assumed you wanted the wine to stay dry, but I may be wrong about that. Sorry about that!

I think of a rose as more of a really nice beverage, very nice with lunch or a porch pounder. Any wine drank with food should have a little higher acid level, like most Italian wines, they are noted for being great with food (food friendly).

Decode how and with what you will likely drink the wine. If you taste it and the acid level tastes low (flabby), compared to the ABV, you can add a little tartaric acid to taste. If the acid level is high, as is the case for many roses, you can soften it a little with a very small amount of sugar.

This sort of experimentation can be a lot of fun.