Truffle Hill - In Dog We Trust

I like truffles, I like them a lot, we first discovered the taste of truffles in Italy and have never looked back, it’s a treat and it’s addictive.
When I found out the region is renowned for growing truffles we went in the truffle hunt!

The Truffle Farm
Today, their 53-hectare estate, harmoniously intergrated with vineyards and orchards, spans over 55 km of meticulously arranged hazel and oak trees. As the Southern
Hemisphere's leading truffle producer, their commitment to research and quality has made them one of the world's largest single-farm
producers of black truffles.

TRUFFLES
Truffles - not to be confused with the chocolate truffle - are a group of highly sought-after, underground, edible fungi, belonging to the fungal genus, Tuber. The Black Winter Truffle is the fruiting body of the species Tuber melanosporum. There are more than 70 edible species of truffle, however Black Winter Truffle and Italian White Truffle (Tuber magnatum) are the most highly prized for culinary use. Truffles have been called the "diamond of the kitchen" and are revered in international haute cuisine.
Black truffles have a pungent aroma, described as the ancient flavours from the forest - think of musty, garlicky, nutty flavours that can overwhelm the senses. The aroma of truffles is actually made up of more than 100 volatile oils which express themselves in different proportions as the truffle ages, so every truffle is unique and has its own aroma.

How do truffles grow?
While truffles in Europe have historically grown wild, much of the world's truffle is now cultivated. This is done by inoculating the roots of host trees with the truffle spores. The fungus forms a symbiotic relationship with the roots of a host tree, most commonly oak and hazel trees. The mycorrhizae (the non-fruiting part of the fungus which envelope the roots) helps the tree to absorb soil minerals.
In return the host tree provides the truffle with carbohydrates, which are produced through photosynthesis. The truffle grows throughout Summer and Autumn and reaches maturity in Winter, at which point it is harvested. The largest truffle found on their farm weighed 1016g, however the majority are less than 100g.

OUR DOGS
The Truffle & Wine Co. has a team of Labrador truffle hunting dogs. They undergo a rigorous training regime in the few months prior to each truffle season (winter), so that once harvest begins they will be ready to go.
The dogs use their acutely trained and highly sensitive noses to detect the location of ripe truffles.
It is said that the olfactory (smell) receptors in a human nose would cover the size of a postage stamp, but a dog's olfactory receptors would cover an entire football field.
The relationship between a truffle dog and their handler is incredibly important to a successful hunt. A close bond between the two ensures that the dog responds to its handler's commands, and a desire to please its owner will ensure a more efficient truffle hunt.
How long does it take to train a truffle dog?
Generally it takes about 3 months to train a dog to detect the scent of a ripe truffle, although this is largely influenced by its breed and temperament. Formal training can take up to 3 years before the dog becomes an expert truffle hunter. Labradors are our dog of choice for hunting truffles as they are loyal, intelligent and of course, highly motivated by food.
Our truffle dogs can detect a truffle up to zocm below the ground, but truffles are generally around 5-10cm deep, or just under the leaf litter on top of the soil. Once a truffle is detected by the dog, it is up to the handler to determine if the truffle is ripe and ready to harvest.Læs mere