Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone is a white wine appellation situated northwest of Rome near Lake Bolsena, in central Italy's Lazio region. Although its wines are generally consumed in large quantities in Rome – and are not so well known on the international market – out of the 26 DOCs in Lazio, it reigns alongside Castelli Romani and Frascati as one of the most prominent white-wine zones.
Today the white wines are based on Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca. Vineyards for the DOC focus on the volcanic soils near Lake Bolsena and are harvested to a maxiumum yield of 13 tonnes per hectare, and wines must attain a minimum alcohol level of 11 percent. Two types of the Trebbiano grape variety are specifically permitted: Trebbiano Giallo, known here as Rossetto, and Trebbiano Toscano, which goes by its local synonym Procanico. The wines are generally characterized as displaying mildly aromatic apple notes and crisp acidity. There are four styles: secco, abboccato, amabile and spumante. Some producers even produce a passito version made from grapes affected by noble rot. However in historical times the wine was most probably rather sweet and most likely made from Moscato.
Its unusual name, with its officially enshrined exclamation marks, is linked to a whimsical tale. Legend has it that, in the year 1111, a German bishop called Johann Fugger was following the expedition of German King Henry V to Rome, where Henry was to be crowned as Holy Roman Emperor. Fugger, however, seemed more keen on sightseeing than politics. As he travelled, he would send his manservant a day ahead of him in search of accommodation with quality wines. In order that the bishop knew which inns provided the best liquid refreshment, Martinus would write with chalk the word Est!, meaning "It is!", on the various inn doors.
Martinus was so taken with the wine from the village of Montefiascone that he wrote Est! Est!! Est!!! on the inn door. On arriving, the bishop also fell in love with the wine, and from that day forth the wine from this area bore the name Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone. Moreover Bishop Fugger returned to live in the area until his death. For centuries afterwards, the tradition to celebrate the anniversary of his death was to pour a bottle of this wine over his tombstone.
