WINE OF THE MONTH

Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiacone DOC Falesco

[EHST EHST EHST dee mawn-teh-fyahs-KAW-neh]

he name of a DOC area located in Italy’s LATIUM region, northwest of Rome near Lake Bolsena. According to legend, a twelfth-century German bishop on his way to Rome sent his servant ahead to identify places where wines were particularly good. When the servant found one, he was to identify it by writing the word Est (Latin for “it is”) on its wall. The servant apparently found the wine at a tavern in Montefiascone to be so fantastic that he enscribed the enthusiastic Est! Est!! Est!!! on the wall. According to the story, the bishop (who apparently agreed with his servant’s opinion) never left Montefiascone. It produces a light, DRY white wine from TREBBIANO, Procanico, and MALVASIA grapes. The wine is generally viewed as quite ordinary-certainly not worth all the exclamation points.

Vinified in stainless steel tanks, this young wine is straw colored, light and fresh with a bouquet of ripe fruit. On the palate, it exhibits soft flavors of pear and melon. Excellent as aperitif, this wine can also be paired with fish or white meat dishes.

“I was intrigued the other day to spot a new Est! Est!! Est!!! from Falesco, a maker that has impressed me with its red Vitiano.... Sure enough, Falesco rings the bell again with this one, a crisp and interesting white with a price tag that makes it a real bargain.” -Vintage 2000

Cheers and Enjoy,
Peter Paloni
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