Our Story
We aspire to master the management of our truffiere to establish the environment for our black truffles to thrive. This is tricky business! There is a great deal that we have learned about successful truffle cultivation along the way, however there remains a great deal more to learn! Success involves a combination of art, science and Lady Luck.
Our journey has included locating a helpful tree supplier, baseline soil testing, deep-ripping across the crest of a hill, and the application of 54 tons of lime to the hectare to ensure a soil pH in the alkaline range suited to black truffle cultivation.
Trees were painstakingly planted (in the depths of winter, no less) in neat, straight rows. ‘Et voila’, four years later we harvested our first ‘black gold’.
Of course, it wasn’t quite that simple; there was irrigation to establish, weeds to control (which incidentally loved the new rich growing conditions), pruning as the trees became established, more soil tests, more soil additives, dogs to acquire and train, and lots of praying that we were on the right track.
Each year as the days grow shorter, the nights grow longer, the temperatures fall and the early morning frosts kick in – there is a growing sense of anticipation and excitement about what lies in store for the truffle harvest ahead!
As the countdown to the season continues our canine crew, Abbie and Holly, have been refining their technique for pinpointing the location of our hidden treasure, while we have been monitoring conditions under the trees to detect early signs of truffle activity. In honour of the French ancestry of our truffles’ family tree – the bottle of Moët waits in readiness for the celebration of our first ripe truffle for the season – a tradition that will be maintained each year!
The excitement is building for the next chapter in our personal truffle story and we welcome you to join in the fun!
