The white truffle is one of the great excellences of our gastronomic tradition . It is a hypogean mushroom, which has its natural habitat in the woods, near the roots of some plants, with which it has created a sort of symbiosis, in particular with oak, hazel, poplar, hornbeam and linden. It is harvested in the period from September to January. In Italy it is found mainly in the lower Piedmont area: Langhe, Roero and Monferrato. Alba's is particularly famous. It can also be found in the Apennine area, between Tuscany, Marche and Umbria; in this area the truffles of Acqualagna are particularly famous. In the southern regions it is present in Molise, Benevento and in some internal areas of Calabria.

The white truffle has a refined and penetrating smell , reminiscent of methane gas, aged or fermented cheese and a taste of great finesse and persistence. Because of its particular aromatic personality, it is usually used raw to flavor tagliolini, risotto and eggs, so that it can complete the dishes with an extra touch, which makes them particularly appetizing and tasty. The problems begin when you have to choose a wine to pair with white truffle dishes. We clear the field of a basic problem immediately: with white truffle we will choose to combine only white wines . I know, we will go against a classic territorial combination, which in the Langhe often sees the white truffle accompanied by a Barolo or Barbaresco, but the territory does not always offer the best combination and every now and then you have to broaden the horizon to fully gratify the palate . Its fine aromatic profile and the earthy origin of mushroom, do not recommend pairing with the red ones, which turn out to be too intense and tannic for the refined elegance of the white truffle. In addition, the dishes to which it is usually combined: pasta, rice and eggs, all call pairings with white wines.

To enhance the white truffle we will have to choose a wine with good structure and aromatic intensity , quite complex and persistent and with a fresh finish on sapid and mineral notes. We will be able to choose a white of a certain importance such as a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo , a Trebbiano Spoletino or a Müller Thurgau with good structure from South Tyrol or the Cembra Valley, fresh, intense, mineral and slightly aromatic. If instead we want to look beyond the Alps, then we will be spoiled for choice among a series of extraordinary labels. We will be able to orient ourselves on a great Burgundy chardonnay. A Chassagne-Montrachet , a Puligny-Montrachet , a Mersault or a Chablis will be perfect. The pairings with the wines of the Rhone Valley are also excellent: Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, Hermitage Blanc, Saint Joseph Blanc, Saint Péray or with a Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc.