ripasso v. ripassa

AFAIK, there is no difference. Ripasso is the common spelling, I'm not sure of anyone outside of Zenato who uses Ripassa.

Hello, I live in the Verona area and I can better answer your question. I hope my english is good enough to make myself understood.

You can imagine Ripasso being the process - "to pass again" on the grapes - whilst Ripassa is a name.

As you know, the wine you're talking about is a wine that stands in the middle in between Valpolicella Superiore and Amarone.

I hope that you'll better understand thanks to the following examples. You can find four typical cases:

1) The winemaker adds "Ripasso" to the name of the product. In example, Accordini Acinatico Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso. Accordini is the winery; "Acinatico" is the "real" name of the product; "Valpolicella Superiore" is the product; "Ripasso" is the additional process applied to Valpolicella Superiore. 2) The winemaker calls the product Ripasso. In Example, Tommasi Ripasso Valpolicella. "Tommasi" is the winery, "Valpolicella" is the product (actually it is a Valpolicella Superiore); "Ripasso" is the "real" name of the product. In this case, you understand that the wine also undergone the Ripasso process. 3) The winemaker does not add Ripasso in the name, in example Begali Valpolicella Classico Superiore "Vigneto la Cengia". In this case, "Begali" is the winery; "Valpolicella Classico Superiore" is the product; "Vigneto la Cengia" is the name of the product. You must read the description on the label to understand that this wine undergone the Ripasso process as it is not explained at all on the product name. 4) The winemaker calls the product with a name that he decides. In example Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore. "Zenato" is the winery; "Ripassa" is the name of the product; "Valpolicella Superiore" is the product. You will need to read the description on the label to understand that this wine undergone the "Ripasso" process because "Ripassa" does not mean anything, it is only a name like "Frank" or "John" or "Susan".

So... "Ripasso" is a word with a sense in italian (to pass again), but "Ripassa" does not mean (almost) anything - it is a name invented by Zenato and applied to their Valpolicella "passed again" wine.

Regards Andrea

Yes, it was a Zenato where I saw "ripassa" used.

By the way, I picked up the Zenato for about US$20; a very good value I think.

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Possibly Zenato uses "Ripassa" because he is describing the process (3rd person singular of the verb ripassare: il vino ripassa). "Ripasso" as commonly used is the adjective form (un vino ripasso: male, singular) or possibly the noun(un ripasso: a repeat).

Reka

Ripasso as an adjective does not exist. And as 3rd person singular of ripassare, highly unlikely.

No, it is very simple, "ripasso" and "vino di ripasso" WAS a trade mark of producer Masi who first introduced the term commercially (though the technique and the name had been used long ago), a bit like "meritage", you cannot just take the label and use it, so Zenato invented the feminine version of the nous "ripasso". Allegrini has been fighting Masi for years for the use of a term that was commonly used before MAsi trade marked it.

Since then Masi has donated the trade mark "Valpolicella Ripasso" to the Chamber of Commerce of Verona. Once the term gets included in the Valpolicella DOC rules, anyone will be able to apply for its use.

Mike