324
It
is
a
white
wine,
produced
in
the
province
of
Viterbo,
Italy.
The wine EST! EST !! EST !!! It is clear and
bright,
of
pale
yellow
colour
more
or
less
intense,
full
of
green
reflections.
Scent decided, strongly vinous and with floral
tones, grassy and fruity, it brings to the mind hints
of pineapple and citrus. It needs to be served
cold, at a temperature of about 8 degrees,
particularly appropriate when paired with
fish, poultry, vegetables
or
omelette
dishes.
Its
name,
so
unique,
comes from a legend:
In
1111
Henry
V
of
Germany,
the
future
Emperor
of
the
Holy
Roman Empire, heading
to Rome to be crowned
by
Pope
Paschal
II.
Travelling with him was Bishop Johannes
Defuk, a great wine connoisseur, who was
always looking for new flavours, and he
sent his butler Martino to taste and discover
new wines. The best wines, then, would be
proposed to the bishop. The two had a code
to be written outside the Inn door: EST (in Latin,
there is) indicated the presence of good
wine; EST EST symbolized a very good wine.
When Martino arrived in Montefiascone
and tasted the wine of the place he was
pleasantly surprised: he wrote on the inn
EST! EST !! EST !!!. With six exclamation marks!
The bishop, once arrived in town, tasted
the wine and fully shared his butler’s and
lengthened his stay in Montefiascone
for a few days. After his mission, he
decided to return and stayed until the
day of his death, as the legend narrates,
that
was
because
he
drunk
to
excess.
He
was
buried
in
the
church
of
San
Flaviano,where
you
can
still
read
the
inscription
on
his
tombstone
‘for
too
much
EST!
Here
lies
dead
my
master
Johannes
Defuk’.
The bishop, as a sign of gratitude to the
town that welcomed him, bequeathed
24,000 shields, provided that each year, on
the date of his death, a small bottle of wine
was poured over his grave. This tradition
has been repeated for centuries and still
is today, this character is remembered
with a costume parade dedicated to him.
EST EST EST DI
MONTEFIASCONE
