Est! Est!! Est!!!
Bigi, a leading winery in Orvieto, was founded by Luigi Bigi in the late nineteenth century. Along with other types of wine, Bigi has always produced small quantities of “Est! Est!! Est!!!”—a wine that bears an unusual name and has an unusual story—from nearby Montefiascone.
The most interesting thing about this wine is the remarkable story associated with it. In 1100 A.D., the German Bishop Johann Fugger was traveling to Rome to attend the coronation ceremony of King Henry V. The bishop was fond of wine, and so, he sent his servant Martin ahead of him to find inns that served the best wines. Martin was to write the word “Est,” which means “it is”, on the door of the inn to let his master know that good wine was to be found there. When the bishop arrived at Montefiascone on the banks of Lake Bolsena some sixty miles from Rome he was surprised to see the words “Est! Est!! Est!!!” written above the door of a particular inn there.
Martin was right. The wine was so good and so much to the bishop’s taste that he decided to stay there. He did not take the trouble of attending the coronation. He spent the rest of his life in Montefiascone drinking his favorite wine. Just before his death, he wrote in his will that a barrel of the wine was to be poured over his grave every year on the occasion of his death anniversary. This custom continued till the town’s bishops decided not to waste the wonderful wine by pouring it over a grave. Instead, it was sent to the seminary for the use of the young priests. Bishop Fugger’s tomb still stands in the church of St. Flavio with Martin’s inscription: “On account of too much ‘Est! Est!! Est!!!’ my master Johannes di Fugger died here”
Nobody knows how much of the tale is true. But, it is definitely true that “Est! Est!! Est!!!” is an ancient wine of historical significance made in Montefiascone, a place situated in the north of Rome on the banks of Lake Bolsena. It is a white wine with the hint of a sparkle. Semi-sweet and dry with mild, fruity flavors, it is made of trebbiano and malvasia grapes. The wine pairs well with light appetizers.
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