I was led by a guide through the sleepy foothills in Berri, an Italian small town. PiedmontDaniele is a licensed truffle-hunter, with his white, petite hound Bianca. The stars shine in the cold crisp air. Piedmont’s chilly evenings are part of an ecosystem that is fragile. They are also what makes the region so special for both winemaking and truffle hunting. We make our way through a forest of hazelnut and poplar trees, which becomes more dense as we approach a small ravine. Daniele tells me that timing is crucial. Amanda, my American guide, translates. He often returns to the same spot twice or even three times a day because a mature truffle can be found in just a couple of hours. Typical of many wild plants, truffles tend to repopulate in the same area, assuming that the truffle’s mycelium—the invisible rootlike network that spreads underground—is not disturbed. According to him, being a great hunter is all about memory.
Daniele’s slower, more learned approach to things and her careful hand are the hallmarks of a bygone era. In a time when the word You can also check out our other products. Common Modifications The following are some examples of how to get started: food, It is important to maintain these traditional methods. I am traveling through Northern Italy with PriorThe itineraries of an experiential travel company are meant to tell stories about local artisans who preserve their heritage. David Prior (a cofounder and former contributor to this magazine) says, “We are highlighting these living traditions passed down through generations. As he accompany me from Genoa The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us: VeniceHe introduces me to artisans who specialize in different foods and crafts. Prior called this trip Fatto Mano (or “handmade”). Like many of Prior’s other itineraries it aims to connect travelers with the makers in a particular place: In Italy, that includes winemakers, designers and bronze workers. “Music and food are important to me,” he says. They are the essences of culture which make them the essences of the place. By introducing travelers to these traditions, they can raise awareness of the importance of protecting them.
Our conversation suddenly stops. Daniele runs towards Bianca. She is digging under a large tree and gnawing wildly on its roots. She is trained to not eat truffles, no matter how tasty they are, but she gets more and more agitated the closer she comes to one. Daniele pulls Bianca back, leans in closer and starts digging with a pickax. He stopped and looked up at me. He told me to lean forward, touch the soil, and smell it. The scent of the truffle is immediately apparent: nutty earthy and intoxicating. Daniele digs slowly but with an increased anticipation. No one has to tell us: We want to find an enormous truffle, the type that looks like some strange tumor that has risen from the ground. But no. Daniele’s voice is tinged by disappointment as he says “Piccolissimo”. It is so small that he feeds it to Bianca as a treat—not even worth selling on the market.
As dawn creeps across the horizon the golden light is like a balm. Amanda receives three truffles from Daniele as we say goodbye. We’re exhausted and ready to go to bed, but we are also ravenous. Amanda takes us to a vineyard where ripe Nebbiolo grapes are growing—harvest season is upon us—and we sit at a concrete picnic table under a large oak tree. The mist from the early morning begins to evaporate as the sun rises. Amanda serves up fried eggs with white truffles and toast bread. They can sell for thousands of dollars but are essentially humble foods. Food of the Land. This is without a shadow of a doubt one of my favorite meals.
David and I explore Piedmont together for the next few days. This means basically drinking wine, consuming truffles, and discussing the consumption of wine and truffles. David spotted an elderly man in Bra walking with dignity along the streets. Carlo Petrini was the legendary 75-year old founder of the organisation Slow FoodThis led to the creation of the Slow Food movement worldwide and other phenomena. Eataly, a chain of international markets that sells artisanal Italian supplies. Carlo, a food activist and author who has been active for many years, rose to fame in the 1980s when he protested the opening of McDonald’s near the Spanish Steps The following are some examples of how to use Rome. He founded the University of Gastronomic Sciences In Pollenzo where David studied and occupies an old castle worthy of Harry Potter The ancient Roman ruins. Carlo’s philosophy—that the food we eat should be grown locally, prepared with care, and eaten with consideration—is one that David has deeply absorbed.
David is motivated by his ideal to insist that we visit Langhe – the famous Piedmont region – and experience the harvest of Luisa Sala, a graduate of the University of Gastronomic Sciences, and Lara Rocchetti. During the trip David will introduce me to some of the most prominent Barolo wine families in the region—people who own land worth millions and sell some of the priciest bottles around—but Luisa and Lara are not of this ilk. They farm just five hectares of land and sell their wine, a simple Nebbiolo, under the label Lalù (a combination of their names), for $40 in the US, even though these are essentially the same grapes that could be aged into a very expensive Barolo.
This week, two lawyers and a dentist joined them for the harvest. They tell me that they do this every single year to help Luisa & Lara. On a small plastic table, a large plate of freshly baked bread and rough-cut prosciutto sits next to a large water pitcher and an opened bottle of wine. Winemaking has never seemed easy to me—harvests can be disappointing, and climate change is impacting the practice in unexpected ways. This afternoon, however, is pure bliss. The sun is shining and the air cool. The grapes have a deep, almost bruised color. The aroma of yeast and fruit is released into the garage as they are crushed in a giant stainless steel crusher-destemmer. The intimacy and camaraderie among the group are genuine and easy. Langhe’s beauty is a spell that everyone falls under. I can see why Lara, Luisa, and others want to capture it.
David and I continue our journey through Northern Italy in the pouring rain. By the afternoon, we have reached the industrial zone. Milan Zona Solari neighborhood. Milan’s beauty is cosmopolitan and luxurious, even on a rainy, overcast day. We duck in the Ansaldo workshop, which was the original opera house. Teatro alla Scala. Within this 215,000-square foot facility, 150 skilled craftspeople supervise set design, construction and sculpture as well as mechanics and costumes for all productions.
