In thinking about wines to drink this summer, I remembered the last time my wife and I were in Italy. We were guests of the Falesco Winery in Lazioand we were served a white wine called Est! Est!! Est!!!,—a bright dry wine the color of freshly cut hay. Our young guide went on to tell us the story about how this wine got it’s unusual name. It seems a wine-loving bishop on his way to the coronation of the Pope sent a servant ahead to let him know where the wine was worth drinking. If the wine was good, he would leave a marker that said “Est” (it is) above the door of the tavern so the bishop would know where to stop. When the servant arrived at Montefiascone, the wine was so good he marked the door “Est! Est!! Est!!!”.
While we were at the winery, we tasted through the entire catalogue of Falesco wines. I thought the whites were wonderful, but that the reds were lacking in structure and complexity.
But now I have to take that back. I have just tasted the Falesco Merlot and was bowled over at how good it was. So in addition to a hidden gem in “Est! Est!! Est!!!” you should try their Merlot, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
I have to add, that while looking for photos of Falesco wines, I ran across reviews that dismissed the wine as nothing special. Not true! This is a great summer wine. So raise a glass to that bishop from long ago.
