How to Make Rosé at Home

This guide shows you how to make rosé wine at home from fresh grapes, with each step from crushing day through to bottling.

Day 1: Crushing the grapes

Step 1: Sterilise your equipment

Sterilise all equipment to be used for Day 1.

Step 2: Crush the grapes and add the first packets

Crush and destem the grapes into a food-grade fermentation vat.
Add packet A from the wine kit as per the instructions on the packet.
Directly add packet B as per the instructions on the packet.
After step 2, plunge the grapes 3-5 times per day.

Three ways to make rosé style wine

To produce rosé style wines you have 3 choices. Check out the table below:

Method	Action Required	Recommendations
Bleeding	When pressing, the juice that comes off before you actually start squeezing is kept for rosé wine.	Follow our red wine guide from the start and, at the pressing stage, separate the free run juice and follow step 7 on this sheet to complete the rosé wine.
Extraction	After a few hours (maximum of 24 hours), a percentage of juice is removed from the skins. This juice is then used for making rosé.	Good method for quick colour-extracting wines such as Ruby Red.
Infusion	After a few days, when you are happy with the colour, a percentage of juice must be removed from the skins or the entire vat is pressed. This juice is then used for making rosé.	Suggested method for light red colour production.

If you decide to follow methods 2 and 3, the wine, once separated from the skins, needs to be treated as a white wine.

Follow the instructions below.

Step 3: Test the Baumé and pH of the juice

Grab a sample of the juice and test its Baumé and pH. The table below is a recommendation of additives for particular grape conditions:

Baume Level	Action required	pH Level	Action Required
<12 Baume	If it is at 11 Baume, then add 1 L of grape concentrate for every 45 L of must (equivalent to 5 boxes of grapes). If at 10 Baume, then double the amount per 45 L of must.	< 3.2	Add Potassium Bicarbonate. Check the store for details.
12 to 14 Baume	No action needed	pH 3.3-3.5	No action required
> 14 Baume	At 15 Baume, add 0.75 L per 10 L of must of cooled-down, boiled water to reduce the Baumé. At 16 Baume, add 1.5 L per 10 L of must of cooled-down, boiled water to reduce the Baumé. At 17 Baume, please have your wine assessed in store.	> 3.5	If 0.2 over, then add 1 gram per litre of must. If 0.4 over, then add 2 grams per litre. If more than 0.4, then please have your wine assessed in store.

If you are using the Extraction method, you can press the wine now and follow the instructions below.

Day 2: Starting fermentation

Step 4: Fill the containers and add packets C and D

Make sure the demijohns are only 2/3rd full to allow for fermentation frothing.
The other 1/3rd portion of juice should be kept in the fridge.
If you are using v/c tanks, then leave a good 10% head space.
Add packets C and D as per the label instructions.
Within 24 hours of adding packets C and D you should see bubbles forming.
If you don't see any bubbling by this time, then bring in a sample of juice for assessment.

As the frothing slows down, add more juice, one day at a time, until the containers are full. You will need to judge how much juice can be added without letting it overflow (if unsure, ask our staff in store for more information).

Day 3: Managing the ferment

Step 5: Monitor temperature, Baumé and pH

Measure ferment temperatures regularly. If they exceed 30 degrees, decrease the temperature by artificial means such as wet towels, ice over the containers, or cooling the room the juice is in, as most rosé prefer to ferment in an 18 to 25-degree bracket.

From day 3 onwards, measure the Baumé of the wine. Once it reaches 0 Baumé, proceed to step 6.
If you are following the infusion method, you can press the wine at this stage.
Also, measure the pH of the wine after day 5 and adjust as per the table above.
When you are happy with the colour, maintain the ferment temperature in the 18-25-degree bracket for ideal results.

Step 6: Assess the wine as fermentation slows

Within approximately a week, the fermentation should start to slow down. From this stage, you should assess the wine for the following additions:

Tannin

Some wines require tannin to balance fruit, oak and acid.

Add tannin at the rate stated on the packet. Ask our staff for recommendations regarding different types of tannins and your preferred wine.

Every week, test the Baumé and pH of your wine.
We are looking for a pH of 3.3 to 3.6 and a Baumé of -1.
If the pH is above this, adjust as per the table above. If the Baumé has not reached -1 after the first two weeks, stir the lees at the bottom of the container for 30 seconds and put the airlock back on.
Do this twice a week for two weeks.
If the wine has not gotten to -1 by the end of this stage, bring in the wine for an assessment.

Step 7: Check that fermentation is finished

Fermentation is considered done when we have the following conditions:

The wine does not taste sweet
-1 Baumé has been achieved (check with the hydrometer)
The airlock stops bubbling

Step 8: Rack the wine off the lees

Once the fermentation is complete, the wine needs to be racked from the lees. Smell and taste the wine at this stage. You should be getting a fruit-driven aroma and flavour. If you get any vegetable, vinegar, sulphurous or other smells, then bring your wine into the store for an assessment.

The wine should be checked regularly. Once you have decided to rack the wine, follow these steps:

Prepare a new container for the wine to go in.
Siphon or pump the wine into these new, sanitised containers, making sure that all the containers are full when you finish.
If not, place the wine in smaller but full containers. This can even be 1 L bottles.
V/C tanks are the best option. No other container is required.
Ensure that the wine has been dosed with PMS after racking.
Have the wine assessed for dosage.

Tannin	Some wines require tannin to balance fruit, oak and acid.	Add tannin at the rate stated on the packet. Ask our staff for recommendations regarding different types of tannins and your preferred wine.
pH	If the wine is above 3.7	Add tartaric acid at the dose mentioned at the beginning of this blog.

Check whether you are satisfied with the level of maturity of the wine. It can have finings put in and be racked, or you could filter the wine. Adding tartaric acid late in the winemaking process adds to the acidic taste of the wine. If unsure, bring it to the store. After these additions, the wine can be matured as per cellaring and wine quality conditions.

The most common fining agent for rosé wine is bentonite. As a general rule, rosé should be drunk within 12 months as it is best consumed young. If you are leaving residual sugar in the wine, you will need to dose it with preservatives. Add potassium sorbate and filter the wine with 0.25-micron pads. This style of rosé should only be attempted by competent winemakers. An easy method for making a sweet rosé is to make the rosé dry and then add a bit of caster sugar before consumption.

Step 9: Check the wine is ready for bottling

Before bottling, the following rules should be followed:

Make sure that the wine is below 3.7 pH.
The Baumé of the wine is at -1 before bottling.
The wine does not fizz or produce smoke when left in half-filled plastic bottles for half an hour.
It does not taste bitter, acidic, medicinal or vinegary.

If any of the conditions are not met, your wine is not ready and needs an inspection.

Step 10: Enjoy your rosé

Enjoy your rosé!

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