TorreBarolo Blog

Given the 79th International White Truffle fair in Alba is currently in full swing, I wanted to provide a bit more background on this delicious and mysterious fungus.

Alba is famous for white truffles and although these special fungus grow in various parts of the world (e.g., Albania, Romania, ex-Yugoslavia), it is the Alba white truffle that is considered the ultimate and that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year for the annual truffle fair, that will culminate in the 11th White Truffle World Auction at the Grinzane Cavour Castle on November 8th.

White truffles (tuber magnatum pico) are a wild fungus and for them to grow, the soil must consist of special properties. Also critical is that this special fungus needs trees because the truffles only grow by absorbing the water, salt minerals and fibers from the soil through the roots of the trees. Even more interesting is that the tree the truffle grows close to influences the flavour of the truffle. For example, if the truffle is growing close to an oak tree, the truffle smell will be more intense than if it grows next to a poplar tree.

Fresh truffles lose their intensity of scent and flavour quite quickly so they aren’t good for oil to be kept for months. After a few days, fresh truffle oil will loose its flavour, therefore, if you see truffle oil in shops be aware that it likely contains a chemical flavouring.

Black truffles (see photo to the right) in my opinion lack the intensity of flavour and smell of the white ones. The winter (November to March) ones tend to be the best quality and they are not as highly expensive as the white ones.

Given the going price this year is €250/100 grams, it may be intimidating shopping for a truffle. Be aware that you area allowed to take off a little skin and look at the inside of the truffle. The inside should be light to dark brown. If it is any shade of white, the truffle isn’t mature. If you do buy a truffle and it has not already been cleaned for you, they immerse it in a bowl with equal parts white wine vinegar and water. Very gently brush the outside of the truffle with a brush you might use to clean mushrooms and then pat it dry.

A truffle hunt is very exciting but can be very depressing too when you spend five hours looking, and you find nothing (personal experience!).

Because its flavour is so intense, traditionally truffle is used very simply – shaved over risotto, pasta or often eggs or a carpaccio of veal or beef – so no other flavour can try to compete with it. In the Langhe, expect to pay about €60 for a bowl of the local pasta, tajarin with a generous shaving of white truffles.

Bon Appetite!

One of the best regarded wine Italian guides, Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia, was realised yesterday. It is a survey of 2,520 winemakers, divided by region. The best winemakers are awarded stars, between 1 and 3, depending on the quality of their production and its continuity year after year.

In this year’s guide there were 366 producers awarded stars, of which 14 of them have been awarded 3 stars. Of the 14, three of them are from Piemonte: Bruno Giacosa, Gaja and Giacomo Conterno.

As for particular denominations and vintages below is the list of reds from Piemonte:

1. Barolo Monprivato Cà d’Morissio Riserva 2001, Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio
2. Barbaresco Asili di Barbaresco 2005, Bruno Giacosa
3. Barolo 2005, Bartolo Mascarello
4. Barolo Acclivi 2005, Burlotto G.B.
5. Barolo Brunate – Le Coste 2005, Giuseppe Rinaldi
6. Barolo Rocche Rivera 2004, Oddero Luigi & Figli
7. Barolo Vigna Elena 2004, Elvio Cogno

Below are also Gambero Rosso’s special awards by category:

Winery of the year: Bruno Giacosa of Piemonte

Red wine of the year: Antoniolo, Osso San Grato 2005 Gattinara

White wine of the year: Clelia Romano, Colli di Lapio 2008 Fiano di Avellino

Sparkling wine of the year: Cavit, Altemasi Graal Brut Riserva 2002 Trento

Producer of the year: Gianfranco Fino of Puglia

Sweet wine of the year: Barattieri, Albarola Val di Nure Vin Santo1999 Colli Piacentini

The Vini d’Italia 2010 guide is for the first time solely produced by Gambero Rosso, after its recent split from SlowFood. In the spring of next year, SlowFood will introduce its own eagerly awaited wine guide, that will have less focus on awarding stars and a greater focus on informing consumers of the land, the people, the history and the climate that contribute to the vintage.

Other distinguished Italian wine guides include: L’Espresso’s I Vini d’Italia, Duemilavini of AIS (the Italian Sommelier Association) and I Vini di Veronelli.

If you aren’t familiar with the events surrounding the annual International White Truffle fair in Alba, this is a great video that captures the mood and spirit of it. The images in the video are mainly from the opening weekend celebration when the city hosts various events with participants in medieval dress. One particularly entertaining event in the opening weekend is Alba’s Donkey Palio.

This is Alba making fun of its rival city Asti and its Palio (on bare horse back). Other events that weekend involve numerous wine and food tastings. If you want to make plans for a visit, this is a great time to experience the Langhe.  Although the truffle fair goes on for a whole month, many of the events highlighted in this video take place the first weekend of October.