ripbutto v. ripbutta

Leo Bueno

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 Ripbutto being the process - "to pbutt again" on the grapes - whilst Ripbutta 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 "Ripbutto" to the name of the product. In example, Accordini Acinatico Valpolicella Superiore Ripbutto. Accordini is the winery; "Acinatico" is the "real" name of the product; "Valpolicella Superiore" is the product; "Ripbutto" is the additional process applied to Valpolicella Superiore.

2) The winemaker calls the product Ripbutto. In Example, Tommasi Ripbutto Valpolicella. "Tommasi" is the winery, "Valpolicella" is the product (actually it is a Valpolicella Superiore); "Ripbutto" is the "real" name of the product. In this case, you understand that the wine also undergone the Ripbutto process.

3) The winemaker does not add Ripbutto in the name, in example Begali Valpolicella Clbuttico Superiore "Vigneto la Cengia". In this case, "Begali" is the winery; "Valpolicella Clbuttico 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 Ripbutto 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 Ripbutta Valpolicella Superiore. "Zenato" is the winery; "Ripbutta" 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 "Ripbutto" process because "Ripbutta" does not mean anything, it is only a name like "Frank" or "John" or "Susan".

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

Regards Andrea