How to Pair Truffles with Wine

Truffles are a luxury and an indulgence, and the last thing you want to do when you partake in this expensive ingredient is to eat it while drinking the wrong kind of wine. Similar to pretty much all wine pairings, what works well with truffle will depend on how the truffle is prepared and what that truffle is served with.

Discover the truffle on our cooking vacations.

Truffle and wine pairing on culinary tour to PiedmontGenerally speaking though, truffles by their very nature are earthy in flavor, and you’ll need a wine that takes that into account. Truffles are also typically served in very aromatic dishes, so another way to pick your wine is to choose one that will help cleanse your palate.

Wine and White Truffles

White truffles may be incredibly expensive, but their flavor is both intense and delicate. That’s why you’ll often see white truffles shaved over dishes rather than cooked. The best wine choice to go with your white truffles, no matter what dish they’re served over? The local wines of Piedmont of course, namely Barolo and Barbaresco. Other red wines with earthy notes, as well as spicy notes, can work as well. If you’re looking for a white wine though, a good bet is often a mature Chardonnay.

Cook with truffles in Piedmont.

Risotto with truffles on an Italian Culinary Vacation

Black Truffles

Black truffles aren’t as pungent as their white counterparts, and in turn they’re also more versatile both in the way they can be used in cooking and the wine that they’re paired with. Wines from the same region where black truffles can be found is one starting point when considering which wine to enjoy with your black truffle dish; in Umbria, for one, where we have our Norcia cooking vacation, Sagrantino wines can be wonderful accompaniments to black truffle pasta dishes.

In general though, go for a medium-bodied wine that won’t overwhelm or compete too much with the truffles. Additionally, the less acidity, the better.

Try a recipe for Umbricelli pasta with truffles.

Pile of truffles on a cooking vacationThere are also wonderful truffles in France and Croatia. During our Delectable Dordogne cooking vacation, for instance, you will experience the truffle in French dishes and paired with wonderful French wines.

Try a recipe for risotto with truffles or gnocchi with truffles.

By Liz Hall

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