Oops!

We chose a small hill on the Farm of the Montalbino Holiday Farmhouse, whose soil has never been treated with chemicals and has always been particularly suited to the growth of truffles, and we planted some of the trees that facilitate the development of truffles, in particular of white truffles that are the most characteristic variety in the Montespertoli area. In a lovely landscape with gentle hills covered in vineyards and olive groves as well as patches of old woodland, our truffle-growing area provides our guests with the opportunity of taking pleasant walks through the hills to discover the land where this precious tuber grows. Upon reservation, we also organize truffle searching excursions with a truffle hunter and his trusty dog. Walking along lovely trails, you can find out all the secrets of this remarkable and very ancient countryside activity.

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The Truffle

When a tree and a fungus unexpectedly start a long-lasting friendship that is profitable to both, one can expect a lot of surprises.

Among these the most remarkable is the production of the extremely fine Italian White Truffle (Tuber Magnatum Pico), a delicacy that is beloved by connoisseurs from all over the world.

The Italian white truffle is a fungus that develops underground and can grow exclusively if the area has specific natural features and if there are certain plants that live in symbiosis with the fungus.

But this is not the only surprising characteristic of white truffles, since the picking of these underground fungi cannot take place unless another yet very different kind of friendship is established: that between truffle dogs and truffle pickers.

The picking of white truffles could not take place without the crucial role played by dogs and it is enough to go truffle hunting even just once to realize this.

Dogs lead the search, truffle pickers follow them, sometimes in silence and sometimes urging them on to do their work: the communication between a truffle picker and his/her dog can be made of words, sounds, gestures, or looks, but it never stops.

Truffle dogs are often crossbreeds deriving from the breeding of truffle pickers’ dogs and they are meek, intelligent, and very expressive animals.

Each truffle picker knows all about the meaning of his/her dog’s sudden sprints, distinctive way of smelling the air or the ground, and several other small details and peculiarities.

It almost feels like taking part in a treasure hunt when one watches a truffle picker and a truffle dog suddenly digging a small hole in the ground to extract a truffle that can be small or big, round or flat, broken or perfectly whole.

But this is not the only exciting part of going truffle hunting.

The natural environment where white truffles grow and the picking season, from September to late December, are also full of surprises.

White truffles usually grow in cool forests and in areas at the bottom of valleys, close to rivers. In most cases, these are natural environments which are rich in wild animal species and have a very wide range of plants.

Truffle searching activities usually start in the very early hours of the morning, when due to low temperatures truffle dogs can smell the forest’s scents at best. This is also the time of the day when forests show themselves in all their beauty.

The search for excellent Italian White Truffles is an exciting activity that guests can experience at the Montalbino Holiday Farmhouse, but also March Truffles deserve to be discovered and appreciated.

These are less valuable truffles but their taste is ideal to enhance many traditional Tuscan dishes.

Searching for March Truffles is a less challenging and more enjoyable activity, since truffles are usually smaller but more abundant and they do not grow as deep in the ground as Italian white truffles.

These truffles, which can be picked between January and April, grow in the grounds on the outskirts of our estate. They can be found in mixed forests on the hills especially in proximity to Italian stone pines, Austrian pines, and downy oaks.

At the Montalbino Holiday Farmhouse, you can take part in the search for both Italian White Truffles and March Truffles together with a skilled truffle picker, then you can taste your freshly picked truffles, cooked in our restaurant according to traditional recipes.

We would also like to remind you that during the month of November Montespertoli, San Miniato and several other villages of the area play host to a large number of cultural events and food fairs revolving around one of the finest local products: the Italian White Truffle.

Similar events taking place in Certaldo in March are dedicated to the so-called March Truffle.