Pepita: this is how truffle is commonly called. Recognised throughout the world as a food of invaluable worth, truffle is an underground fungus similar to a tuber that lives beneath the ground. Because of its delicious flavour and exclusivity, bringing a truffle to the table is always a special occasion. It goes without saying that wine pairing becomes an important matter.
First of all, it should be noted that we do not speak of truffle, but of truffles, since there are various types depending on the season and the area in which they are harvested. The truffle often lives in symbiosis with roots of trees such as oak, linden or poplar. The shape is determined depending on the soil in which it develops: soft and therefore moist soil favours a spherical shape, while hard and dry soil, with stones and roots, favours a knobby shape. The history surrounding the truffle has very ancient origins, having been a protagonist for at least two thousand years as testified by some works including the writings of Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia, dedicating an entire chapter to the celebrated fungus. There has long been debate about the origin of the name, probably deriving from territùfru, a vulgarisation of late Latin terrae tufer (excresence of the earth), where tufer would be used in place of tuber. Depending on the period and place in which it is found, the fungus takes different forms: characterised by an external surface, the peridium, smooth or warty and the inside, the gleba, marbled.
Feeding underground, the truffle is composed in a high percentage of water, fibres and minerals, that is the organic substances provided by the tree with which it lives in symbiosis. Different types of truffle and different woodlands that host it, an itinerary through some of Italy’s most beautiful lands. In Alba, in the heart of the Piedmont Langhe: in the bucolic landscape crossed by rows of vines and historic villages, there are the lands where truffle finds fertile ground and where Tuber Magnatum Pico grows, or better known as “white truffle”, a prized variety that grows from late summer until the beginning of winter. Acqualagna, in the Marche: in the middle of a nature reserve like the Gola del Furlo, there are expanses of land that provide four of the most prized species. In Umbria at Norcia, among the heights of the Monti Sibillini, it is easy to find various varieties of black truffle: between December and March, usually specimens are round with light veins. Finally, there is also Tuscany, with the town of San Miniato, among the forests of the Apennines that responds to the call mostly with white truffle.
Finding a wine for truffle is an extremely complex action because both have a strong and decisive flavour. The wrong wine choice could compromise the tasting and spoil one of Italy’s most expensive and noble products. Truffle has an intense flavour, is aromatic depending on the harvesting season and geographical area. The fundamental question to avoid finding yourself with a bitter taste is to seek a balance and find points of agreement between wine and truffle. The taste of truffle is unmistakable and penetrating. The aromas it releases range from notes of damp earth and forest floor, to hazelnut, honey, spices. At table, the dishes most suitable for pairing with truffle are fatty foods, such as butter, cheeses and fondues, provided they are not too salty, because an excess of salt and spices would risk completely nullifying its delicate aroma.
In any case, you must keep in mind that the suitable pairing is determined by the type of truffle. Erroneously, one might think that white truffle pairs well with white wine and vice versa black truffle with red wine, while in reality, the truffle-wine pairing is determined based on the intensity of the dish they accompany. White truffle, usually served raw with cheeses, eggs or fresh pasta, prefers soft and fragrant wines that leave space for the aroma. For black truffle, which is instead inserted into many dishes, there is room for structured red wines and perhaps with some years of ageing.
A valid idea could be to pair truffle-based dishes – masterpieces of cuisine – with equally fine wines: Cantine Leonardo da Vinci offers an entire collection dedicated to the most celebrated and beloved wines. From Chianti Riserva to Brunello di Montalcino, ideal when truffle is paired, for example, with game. But also Pinot Grigio, which pairs with egg pasta and truffle dishes or seconds with white meats.
Wine guide
Food & Wine
Art & Culture
Wine guide
Food & Wine
