white truffle
Gourmet
When the earth begins to release its scent
“Some treasures come home wrapped in a checked cloth. They weigh next to nothing and fill an entire room.”
Sence of live
Early morning in the Langhe. Mist lies in the hollows between the hills, soft as unspun wool. Leaves beneath your boots, damp and dark, poplars, oaks, hazel bushes. Ahead, the dog, nose close to the ground. Then a pause, a scratch, a quiet word in the local dialect. The trifulau kneels, brushes the earth aside with his fingers, gently, layer by layer. And before the truffle comes into view, its scent rises: forest floor, honey, a hint of garlic, something warm and deep that eludes all description. The Tartufo Bianco d’Alba.
A few kilometres away, the town is waking. From 10 October to 6 December 2026, every weekend in Alba belongs to the white truffle. For the 96th time, the International White Truffle Fair opens its doors, its heart beating in the Cortile della Maddalena, in the historic centre: the World White Truffle Market. Beneath glass domes, the truffles rest on checked cloth, pale, earthy, irregular as river pebbles. Every one has been assessed by a quality commission before changing hands. Trifulau stand beside traders, winemakers beside chefs, and among them, people inhaling the scent of a truffle with their eyes closed. The fragrance drifts through the courtyard and out onto Via Maestra, following you halfway across town.
Fine Dining
Then comes the tasting.
Sensory analysis: an education for the nose. Here, you learn to recognise an exceptional truffle: by its firmness, its maturity, the layers of its aroma unfolding one after another.
Cooking shows: renowned chefs at the stove, the truffle always raw, shaved paper-thin over something simple and warm. Butter, egg, pasta. It rarely needs anything more.
The grand AIS Piemonte enoteca: wines from the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, poured by sommeliers. Nebbiolo, Barbaresco, Barolo, alongside the fine bubbles of Alta Langa.
Into the woods with the trifulau
The finest story is written by the forest. A trifulau and his dog, a path through the Langhe, knowledge passed down here for generations, from father to daughter, grandfather to grandson. The best spots remain family secrets. You walk slowly, look, wait, follow a nose a thousand times keener than your own. And when the dog suddenly stops, the whole forest holds its breath.
And afterwards: Barolo.
La Morra, Barolo, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga. The great names lie just a short drive from Alba, hill upon hill, the rows of vines golden yellow and rust red in October. A private tasting at a carefully chosen winery, the cellar cool, the wine garnet in the glass, rose, tar and dried cherry on the nose. For lunch, tajarin al burro, Piedmont’s fine, yolk-yellow ribbons of pasta, topped with freshly shaved white truffle, its aroma blossoming in the warmth of the butter. One plate, one glass, a long, lingering lunch.
To experience autumn in the Langhe is to watch a landscape ripen: in the glass, on the plate, beneath the leaves.
LA COMPOSIZIONE
The essence of the journey (
White truffle, great wines and Piedmont’s autumn traditions.
Alba and the Langhe, Piedmont: La Morra, Barolo, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga.
A curated journey of taste during truffle season: from the World Market in Alba through the forests of the Langhe to the cellars of Barolo winemakers.
- A visit to the World White Truffle Market in the Cortile della Maddalena
- Truffle sensory analysis and cooking shows with renowned chefs
- Truffle hunting with a trifulau and his dog in the forests of the Langhe
- A private wine tasting at a carefully chosen winery
- Lunch with tajarin al burro and freshly shaved white truffle
Earthy · indulgent · warm with autumn
Food lovers, wine enthusiasts, private clients, small groups and discerning independent travellers who delight in living traditions.
A curated premium travel concept centred on a seasonal event. Ideal for tailor-made bookings on fair weekends from October to December 2026.
WHY THIS JOURNEY
STRENGTHENS YOUR
OFFER AS A
TRAVEL DESIGNER
YOU SELL A SEASON.
The white truffle grows wild and is in season only in autumn. Nine weekends, a window set by nature itself.
DU BIETEST GENUSS MIT TIEFE.
Markt, Wald und Weinkeller erzählen dieselbe Geschichte aus drei Blickwinkeln. Deine Gäste riechen, schmecken und verstehen sie.
YOU OPEN DOORS.
The trifulau who shares his paths, the winemaker who pours the wine himself: encounters made possible through personal connections.
YOU CREATE A REASON TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE HIGH SEASON.
October and November become the most coveted time to travel, even for clients who have always booked Italy in summer.
good to know
What is a trifulau?
The Piedmontese dialect word for a truffle hunter. He walks the woods with his specially trained dog, usually in the early hours of the morning. Truffle hunting and extraction in Italy have been recognised as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage since 2021.
What makes the white truffle so precious?
Tuber magnatum Pico grows only in the wild, among the roots of poplars, oaks, lindens and hazel bushes. Its aroma is fleeting, which is why it is served raw, shaved over the dish only once it reaches the table.