For wine lovers around the world who enjoy wine and the good life Volume 15 Issue 2 April May June 2019 INDIA SommelierTHE WINE MAGAZINE SOMMELIER INDIA WINE MAGAZINE VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 APRIL MAY JUNE 2019 JUNE MAY APRIL 2 ISSUE 15 VOLUME MAGAZINE WINE INDIA SOMMELIER Bordeaux ON TOP OF ITS GAME page 20 Fontanafredda Winery HOW IT MADE BAROLO FAMOUS page 32 Indian Single Malts CAPTURE THE INDIAN MARKET page 54 INDIA’S PREMIER WINE MAGAZINE. CONTROLLED CIRCULATION here is something about the set out to cultivate them, an effort that proved nature of truffles that has to be unsuccessful because truffles cannot be captivated people for over a cultivated.By the mid-1800s, the truffle reached A taste of thousand years. Its pungent, its largest production to date. Over 2,000 tons irresistible aroma is what of truffles appeared throughout Europe. At the Tintrigues haute cuisine chefs and challenges royal court of Savoy in Turin, Italy, hunting for them to dedicate menus and dishes entirely truffles became court entertainment. Royal crafted around truffles and matched perfectly guests and foreign ambassadors were invited heaven dug out to fine wines. to participate, using hounds instead of pigs, The truffle is a hypogeum fungus, which as were common in France. The royal house grows underground closely linked to certain kinds of Savoy, with its roots in Piedmont, was of plants such as chestnut, oak, hazel and beech assiduous in truffle hunting. of the earth trees from which it absorbs nutrition by means of This age of abundance and wealth did its extensive root system. The fruit is in the form not last long. After World War I, many of the Michèle Shah delves into the mystique surrounding the of a tuber and consists of a fleshy mass, whose rural lands were destroyed and the growth of colour varies from white to grey, tending towards truffles decreased dramatically. It reached its world’s most tantalising tuber: the truffle brown, depending on the plant on which it lives nadir by the 1960s, with a production figure and grows. Its form, usually round, depends on of less than 400 tons per annum. Today, the nature of the soil. If the soil is soft it will be truffles are still a rare delicacy, reserved for smoother; if the soil is compact it will have more the most special of occasions. difficulty growing and therefore tend to be more protuberant and lumpy. unting the truffle is the most The word truffle comes from the Latin exciting experience for a truffle word “tuber”, which means outgrowth. It dates The Greeks H lover and his dog. The truffle back to as early as the ancient Egyptians, who hunter is guided only by the hound’s nose held truffles in high esteem and ate them and Romans and by an insightfulness gained through coated in goose fat. The Greeks and Romans used truffles years of experience. Ermanno Scaglione used them for therapeutic purposes, believing for therapeutic and his dog Mara are an experienced team that they gave eternal health to the body and purposes, of hunters of white Alba truffles, said to be soul. Truffles were also seen to have exotic qualities in their aroma and flavour, making believing that them popular among the noble classes, while they gave Highly prized truffles some believed they were aphrodisiacs. eternal health Throughout the Middle Ages, truffles There are many kinds of truffles. The virtually disappeared from sight. This is to the body and most precious are the following: because the church felt that because of their soul White truffle exotic aroma, truffles were the creation of Tuber Magnatum Pico known as the white the devil. They were sometimes known as the truffle from Alba – Tartufo Bianco d’Alba “witches’ fare”, and for centuries few people ate Black winter truffle or sold them. However, during the Renaissance Tuber Melanosporum Vitt also known as winter black truffle truffles made a comeback through the reign of Louis XIV of France, who pushed them into Black summer truffle Tuber Aestivum Vitt known as Scorzone truffle the forefront of one of Europe’s most respected Bianchetto truffle cuisines. King Louis XIV (1643 – 1715), Tuber Albidum Highly prized by chefs, the truffle is a fleshy tuber, whose colour varies from white to grey to brown, depending known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, on where it originates was fascinated by the nature of truffles and 58 Sommelier INDIA APRIL-JUNE 2019 APRIL-JUNE 2019 Sommelier INDIA 59 among the rarest and therefore highly sought market doors to the public, each single truffle not serving the elusive and pricey tuber. Guido after. Scaglione organises truffle hunts for is checked by a special “Quality Commission”, Alciati, founder and owner of the Michelin- visitors who are interested in how the mystery which sets up a Consumer Help Desk that is starred Guido Ristorante in Serralunga of finding a truffle can unveil itself. “What available to customers over the entire period of d’Alba, who was recently named by the makes it so special is that it’s a spontaneous the Fair. This is to guarantee quality control of Italian Truffle Academy as Chef Ambassador fungus. At present, there are no cultivation the product. For each truffle above 10g there to Italian truffles, says, “The truffle is part techniques,” explains Scaglione. Truffle is a numbered bag bearing an identification of Piemontese tradition. The first recipe hunters are ferociously protective about their code that allows the buyer to exchange the with truffles appeared in a Piemontese boundaries and it is dangerous to trespass on truffle within 48 hours if considered defective Truffle hunters cookery book in 1775,” he says. Alciati’s other hunters’ land. “They would go so far as in any way. are ferociously truffle signature dishes include poached egg to poison your dog,” warns Scaglione. The price of fresh truffles can change on a on a bed of creamed mashed potato with Italy boasts a number of regions where daily basis because it depends on the size, the protective Parmigiano cheese and a shaving of white you can find both the black and white truffle, weight and the availability of fresh truffles, about their truffle; Cardoons from Nizza Monferrato with such as Marche, Molise, Tuscany and Emilia factors that make it impossible to set a universal boundaries and a fondue of white truffle; handmade tagliatelle Romagna. White truffles are mainly harvested price. As with any harvest, there are good years it is dangerous “ai 30 rossi” (made with 30 yolks of egg per kg) in Lombardy, Liguria (Ligurian Langhe and and lean years. If it has been a very dry year garnished with white truffle and oven roasted Alta Val Bormida), Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo (Val there are usually fewer truffles. 2018 was to trespass on guineafowl with a sauce of black truffle and a di Sangro), some valleys of Basilicata and along considered a good year and the price of white other hunters’ shaving of white truffle. the coastal pinewoods in Calabria. However, the truffle was between €3,000 and €3,500 per kg, land “To complete the gastronomic experience, best ones undoubtedly come from the area of while the black truffle sold for about €500 to I find that the combination of wine is the Langhe and Monferrato hills in Piedmont. €600 per kg. The price of white truffle in a lean absolutely necessary,” concludes Alciati. And year can levitate to €5,000 per kg. being in Piedmont, the most obvious and he white truffle season is usually plentiful choice would be a good Barolo or from the end of September to the hite truffles, which are immensely Barbaresco, both produced from the native, T end of December, hitting its peak in fragrant, are rarely cooked and noble Nebbiolo grape.v October and November. The season for black, W are almost always shaved raw winter truffles is later – from December to Above: Fresh shavings of white truffles on pasta. Below: Depending on onto pasta, risotto, and other dishes. They are size, weight and availability, the price of fresh truffles can change from February. Other species of black truffles, day to day very sensitive to heat and lose their aroma when TRUFFLE 101 which are still used in cooking, though cooked, but are optimal as a precious finishing 1. A truffle is an hypogeal fungus thought to be less prestigious, are harvested touch to garnish a fairly neutral dish. Black 2. It can be found only by a truffle-dog or during the summer. truffles have a pronounced but less pungent pig in France The Alba White Truffle World Market odour and are usually cooked or added to 3. It cannot be cultivated held annually in the historic centre of Alba is the dish towards the end, as their flavour is 4. It grows from the roots of specific plants 5. Its scent consists of 120 volatile the widest international exhibition of truffles intensified in oil or butter and with a little heat. molecules (black and white), all of which originate from Due to gourmet chefs’ growing appetite 6. In Pidemont, the hunting season starts on the Piedmont hills of Langhe, Roero and for white truffles over the last 20 years, Alba September 21 and ends on January 31 Monferrato. The Alba Truffle Show, which is and its surrounding territories now feature 7. It is eaten fresh and can be stored for open – on weekends only – from early October Italy’s highest concentrations of Michelin- about a week 8. Before eating, it can be cleaned with a to mid-November is a hub of cultural and starred restaurants.