Italian term for a sweet wine or dessert wine made from raisined, i.e. usually air-dried or sun-dried grapes. The name is derived from "appassito" (wilt, appassire = wither, appassimento = withering, drying). The practice has an ancient tradition in Italy, as it was already practised in ancient times with the sultana wine Passum. In terms of the grape drying process, passito corresponds to straw wine.
There are several methods for drying the grapes. They are either left on the vine for a very long time or dried after the grape harvest. In the latter case, they are hung on racks or spread out flat and loosely on wooden slats, straw or reed mats. The main purpose is to remove water and thus concentrate the sugar and extract content. This increases the potential alcohol content by at least a third.
![]()
There is a vast number of sources on the web where one can acquire knowledge about wine. But none has the scope, timeliness and accuracy of the information in the encyclopaedia at wein.plus. I use it regularly and rely on it.
Sigi Hiss
freier Autor und Weinberater (Fine, Vinum u.a.), Bad Krozingen