Our first truffle hunt in the snow, yesterday. A little snow is ok but if it gets too deep the dogs can't smell the truffles and truffle season is over for the year.

Leslie with Marco, our truffle hunter, being from Minnesota this was more like a dusting and not very cold for us.

Marco and Rocky his 3 year old truffle dog. Rocky was successful today and found us 5 nice white truffles!


Cotta, our mascot, loves to be in charge and thinks she found all the truffles and wants to be paid with treats too!

Rocky finding a truffle under the snow.

Our biggest find of the day!

Group photo

Where all the best truffles end up, at one of the best restaurants under glass, waiting to be shaved over your dish of choice! Tajarin, carne cruda, fonduta, uova etc...........

Fiera del Tartufo di Alba, October 6 through November 18, 2012, every Saturday and Sunday

Truffle Fair 2012 is starting off with few truffles and high prices due to lack of rain this spring and summer. We are hoping for better truffles in November and December after some much needed rain in September.
During the fair there are also many people selling high quality dried porcini mushrooms.

Our friend Primo Montaldo, selling his famous cured pork filets and salami.
During the fair one can taste a variety of local wine and taste truffles over traditional dishes like this one, truffles shaved over fried eggs.

Last Saturday we had a great truffle hunt with Marco Varaldo in La Morra, Barolo. We were out hunting with one of his best truffle dogs, Deena. Deena is 8 years old and a truffle hunting pro. Due to a dry summer and fall, the truffle quantities have been lower than usual, but Deena found us a fairly big, aromatic white truffle and 4 nice black summer truffles.

Deena doesn't work for free, she gets rewarded with treats when she finds a truffle.

Here are the truffles we found.

During the hunt, Marco explained to us all about the truffles of the Langhe, all the essential information of how, where and why the truffles grow. For example, what trees they grow under, how the weather affects them, hunting during the day vs. night, how the dogs are trained, the roots under a truffle and the little spores that become next year's truffles and much more. He is very passionate about truffles and happy to share his knowledge and experiences. His knowledge has been passed down from over 3 generation of truffle hunters.

Here, on our way back to town, Marco is explaining the work in the vineyards, when we encounter Agostino (below), the owner of Bosco Agostino, a winery in La Morra. He is out working in his vineyard doing the winter pruning. The farmers are expecting a lot of snow this year so they are trying to get an early start on the winter pruning. He was very charming and funny but we are not sure exactly what he said since he was talking in deep "Piedmontese" dialect.

Below, the village of La Morra in Barolo.

Alla Casa del Trifolao
Marco Varaldo
Truffle Hunting Excursions
tel +39 335 58 00143
marco.varaldo@yahoo.it
reservation is necessary
comfortable clothing and shoes recommended

Upon request, a tasting in the field is available.

On a recent walking tour of Alba we came across the first white truffles of the season at Tartufi & Co. These are on there way to a few of the local restaurants, so far it looks to be a good year for truffles with all the rain we had in the spring.

As harvest ramps up the roads are full of tractors carrying grapes to the wineries, Moscato anyone??

The other day while working at the computer we heard a sound and thought could it be? Sure enough, there were two horses tied up to our garage door below our kitchen balcony.

The last day of the world famous truffle fair in alba this years "best"
of show sold for 24,000 wow now that would be a big bag of stink!!!

Just out side the fair venders were selling both white and black truffles
from 30 to 80 Euros

No they are not all the same. The signs give details on location, altitude,
flat or hilly ,aging

Amazing the differences from wheel to wheel