Rose From Frozen Red Grapes

[JWT_Can]

Hi all

I’m interested in making a rose (saignee method) this fall. What type of colour would you get for the rose using already crushed grapes (fresh or frozen). I have access to crushed must most easily, but I am concerned it would be too dark. any tips or experience would be appreciated!

 

[MiBor]

Get the white juice. Ferment, sulfite and age. To make it rose just add a little red wine. It doesn't work the other way around...

 

[Cap Puncher]

You can make a nice rose with the saignee method to concentrate you reds. It really depends on the time on the skins. I usually have done 18-24 hr skin soak. Then I take a large sanitized stainless steel strainer basket and push on top of the must. Then I proceed with a 4 cup Pyrex to take off the amount I want. I pour into a carboy using dry ice chips or argon to help protect from too much oxidation. I then process like a white wine, cold settle the juice ( in an adapted mini fridge for cold stabilizing) and proceed. If you want a lighter rose, do the same process at 2-6 hrs after crush.

As for frozen must, your rose will be much darker as the freezing/thawing will release more color. You could add a white juice to dilute the color more. I did a merlot 85%\Riesling 15% 2 years ago the came out really nice (you made need more white is to the ratio for frozen must) I only wish I had more! It can be a bit labor intensive with a red wine fermentation going as well, but can be worth it. Good luck!

 

[JWT_Can]

This is good advice, thank you! I may be able to get non frozen crushed must but probably would be darker than I want. I also want to make a concentrated red, so perhaps getting some white and blending to get the desired colour works. Then I can have a concentrated red, white and rose! Cheers to that.

 

[heatherd]

@JWT_Can , there's a thread by @Ajmassa about making rose from grapes using saignee method that has good information about his process. Here's the link: Rosé ZERO skins time! | Wine Making Talk

 

[Ajmassa]

@JWT_Can , there's a thread by @Ajmassa about making rose from grapes using saignee method that has good information about his process. Here's the link: Rosé ZERO skins time! | Wine Making Talk

yeah pre crushed must or frozen must might not be the most ideal for a saigneé. likely has extracted a dark color already. unless it was crushed the same day. i strained out the juice in the damn parking lot lol. few hours on dark grapes can extract a lot of color.

i did read a post recently where someone used the fermented & pressed skins in white juice to make a rosé.

and i did a kit once that was Sauvignon blanc juice with a red juice/sweetener pack. i added all to the primary and fermented dry. was delicious.

best part about rosé — THERE ARE NO RULES! as long as it’s pink. or orange. or really just lighter than a red- then it’s a rosè. or blush. or whatever you wanna call it.
i like “Malbec Blanc”. sounds classy.

@JWT_Can good luck. Getting the color right is a balancing act. just remember- you can make additions later to darken if needed—- but ya can’t make subtractions!

 

[JWT_Can]

Thanks @Ajmassa ! Really enjoyed your parking lot saignee post and the info you just shared here. I’ll see if I can talk to the growers to get same day crushed or whole grapes and crush myself. amd will definitely treat it as an experiment with no right or wrong outcome! Worst case is an overly dark rose....