California Dreamin’.....TRUFFLES !

                             A Wine-Knows group recently attended the Truffle Festival in Italy

Dreams do come true:  truffles are now being harvested in Northern California.  It’s ironic that some of the first truffles are coming from the Sierra foothills, the area of the state’s historic Gold Rush in 1849.  There’s definitely “gold in them their hills,” and it's now in the form of black truffles.

For those of you who don’t know truffles, they are among the culinary world’s priciest treasures.  White truffles, the most expensive gourmet item on the planet, even exceeds the price of caviar.   Black truffles, the species now grown  in California, are much less aromatic and flavorful but they are still gastronomic gems.   The black truffle is one of Southern France and Italy’s Umbria most prized food products.

The foothills of California are not the only site in the state where truffles have been harvested this year.  Some ten years ago several farmers in Sonoma wine country decided to plant oak and chestnut trees (both of these trees are famous in Europe for attracting truffles).  The trees were inoculated with the truffle spores.  Truffles grow underground with the help of Mother Nature near the roots of these trees in France, Italy and Croatia…so why not California with a little help of science? 

While there are several truffle pioneers in California, one of the most famous is  Tuck Taylor.  Once in charge of the French Laundy’s garden, Tuck is now employed by the Jackson Family Wine Company.  The Jackson Family operation harvested 25 pounds of truffles in their first season.  Most of these truffles were sold to the gourmet temples of dining in Northern Cali.  It’s interesting to note that other truffle orchards have been planted in the San Luis Obispo area and as far north as Mendocino county.   None of them are producing truffles yet, but it often takes from 5-10 years for truffles to propagate.

Ten years ago the idea of growing truffles in California was simply a dream.  And, I’m already dreaming of my first bite of the golden state’s black truffles.