“Est! Est!! Est!!!” The legend of an Italian wine name

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montefiascone, Italy, Est Est Est

Do you know the history of the Italian wine name “Est! Est! Est!” ?

In 1111 Henry V of Germany was travelling to Rome to receive from Pope Paschal II the crown of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. With him was travelling a bishop, Johannes Defuk, who just loved wine.

The bishop sent his servant Martin ahead to choose the best Italian wines on the way. If Martin had found good wine, he had to write “Est” (latin: is)  or “No” next to the door of the locanda. If the wine was very good, he had to write “Est Est”. When the servant arrived in Montefiascone and tasted the local wine, he was overwhelmed. That’s why he repeated three times “Est” with six exclamation points: “Est! Est!! Est!!!”.

est-est-est-MontefaschioneThe bishop, who arrived in Montefiascone, shared the opinion of his servant and staid three days in Montefiascone. At the end of the imperial mission he returned there, stopping until the day of his death (apparently due to an excess of wine drinking). He was buried in the church of San Flaviano, where you can still read the inscription on the gray lava stone plaque: “For too much EST! here lies dead, my lord Johannes Defuk.”

The bishop, in gratitude for the hospitality received, left 24,000 scudi,  to the people of Montefiascone. provided that on each anniversary of his death a barrel of wine would have poured on his grave. A tradition that was followed for several centuries. Still today there is a historical parade dedicated to the bishop with characters in historical costumes.

You can find a wonderfull example of Est Est Est Italian wine on ByItaly.

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