Between the Lines

What a fun wine to have — Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone is such a classic, and the legend on the label is delightful.

The label says the bishop was Johannes Defuc, but his name is historically recorded as Johannes Defuk (or Fugger, depending on the source). A minor quibble on a charming story.

Johannes Defuk (or Deuc or Defuc) was a German cleric or nobleman from the early 12th century who became famous because of a wine legend associated with the town of Montefiascone. 

According to the story, Defuk was traveling to Rome in 1111 with the entourage of future Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. He was fond of good wine and sent a servant ahead to identify inns with excellent wine. The servant was instructed to write “Est!” (“It is here!”) on the door of any tavern with good wine. When he reached Montefiascone and tasted the local wine, he was so impressed that he wrote:

Est! Est!! Est!!!

Defuk followed, loved the wine, and supposedly drank so much of it that he settled there and eventually died in 1113. The local wine later adopted the famous name Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone. 

His tomb can still be seen in the Church of Basilica di San Flaviano, and the town continues to celebrate the legend. 

One small caveat: historians are not entirely certain how much of the story is true. Johannes Defuk probably existed, but many details—especially the “Est! Est!! Est!!!” episode and the idea that he literally drank himself to death—belong more to local folklore than firmly documented history. 

It’s one of those delightful Italian stories where history, wine, and legend have become impossible to separate. 🍷

The label reads: 

MCXI° p. Chr. n. pracsulem Jobannem Defuc, Augusti Henrioi V comitem, Romam contendisse in bistorut legimus. For longum iter, vini capacisimus. nau, bani D fuc suavisima vina exquirere in anino. sul conauo fidissumum ministrum suum Martinun noul i, prenumque locum ubi primae notae vinum reperidset, aiste ronte “EST” conscriberet vel potius “ESTI ESTI masertim ilustrem invenioset. “Montefiascone” cum iainet pertus minister sic iucundum vinum invenit ut

“ESTEST EST!!” Merit conscribes staturet. 

This is a wonderfully quirky piece of Medieval Latin — quite corrupt in places, which makes it fun to decode. Here’s my best translation:

“In the year 1111 AD, we read in the histories that Bishop Johannes Defuc, companion of Emperor Henry V, was making his way to Rome. Being a great lover of wine on the long journey, good Defuc had in mind to seek out the finest wines. To this end he sent ahead his most faithful servant Martin, with orders that wherever he found wine of the first quality, he should write ‘EST’ at the entrance, or rather ‘EST! EST!’ especially if he found something outstanding. When he arrived at Montefiascone, the experienced servant found the wine so delightful that he saw fit to write ‘EST! EST!! EST!!’”

But about this wine: this is a secco (dry) white at 12%, made from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes. These can indeed be high in acidity, which is typical of central Italian whites from Lazio. Trebbiano in particular is known for its sharp, lean acidity — great for pairing with food (especially fatty lake fish from Bolsena, its traditional match), but potentially uncomfortable on an empty stomach. Pair it with food, never alone, or as aperitif.

Est! It’s a beautiful wine with a great story. Enjoy it with something to eat! 🥂