Rose Petal Wine



A selection of old-fashioned scented roses

It is always a good idea to dead-head the roses to keep them flowering all through the summer. One of the most sophisticated and delicate wines we have ever made is Rose Petal Wine so this puts those blousy heavy blooms that are 'on the turn' to good use. Ideally you need the old fashioned heavily scented variety so that they impart a beautiful fragrance and flavour to the wine (I don't grow ones that don't smell wonderful so this isn't an issue!) The colour of the roses doesn't matter however, if you are looking for a delicate rosé, stick to pinks and reds and avoid the yellows because these give a peachier shade.
You will need:

Bucket with a lid
Large preserving pan
1 demijohn
1 airlock
4 pints of rose petals
1.5 kg sugar
1 lemon
8 pints water
Yeast and nutrient compound

Bring the water to the boil, add the sugar, rose petals and juice of a lemon. Stir well until sugar has dissolved. When it has cooled to room temperature, pour into a washed and sterilised bucket. Add a teaspoon of yeast compound. Leave to ferment in the closed bucket for a week, stirring daily. Then strain into a sterilised demijohn closed with an airlock and ferment until finished. The wine will take around 12 weeks in the summer months but will keep in bottles for up to two years.

Most wine making supplies can be found at car boot sales and in charity shops. Wine yeast and sterilising stuff can be bought online.