Cultivar Screening and Process Optimization for Quality-Driven Development of Honey-Fermented and Macerated Rose Wines

Edible roses are rich in sugars, polyphenols, and pigments, but systematic comparisons of cultivar suitability for winemaking remain limited, and the effects of processing on the aroma of the resulting wines remain poorly understood. This study screened six edible rose cultivars for pigment characteristics, bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, and sugar composition, and the best-performing cultivar, Rosa rugosa ‘Dianhong’, was used to optimize two types of rose wine: a honey-fermented wine and a macerated wine. Among the six cultivars evaluated, Rosa rugosa ‘Dianhong’ had the highest anthocyanin and flavonoid contents and the strongest antioxidant capacity, and its sugar content was comparable to that of Rosa centifolia. For the honey-fermented wine, the best results were obtained with 20% initial sugar, 0.30 g/L yeast inoculum, and fermentation at 25 °C, producing a wine with 10.1% (v/v) alcohol with a harmonious floral–wine aroma profile and a typical rose-red color. For the macerated wine, a material-to-solvent ratio of 1:20 (w/v), 40% v/v base alcohol, and 60 days of maceration gave an orange-red wine with a mellow palate and a distinct rose aroma. SPME-GC×GC-TOF-MS identified 272 volatile compounds in the petals and wines; esters and alcohols were the most abundant chemical classes in both wine types, but fermentation and maceration shaped the volatile profiles in different ways. These results provide a practical reference for the selection of raw materials and the processing of rose-derived products.