Truffle Prices Rise Because of Hot Italian Summer and Low Production
Staff Writer - October 31, 2007
The long, dry Italian summer which resulted in the earliest grape harvest in over 30 years, is pushing up prices of Italy's prized white truffle as well.
Summer temperatures of up to 30°C (86°F) lingered into September and dried up the Piedmont fields where traditionally the white truffles are found, with the result of crippling the output and inflating prices. which reached over €700 per 100 grams in Alba, the Piedmont town considered the world's white truffle capital. This translates into over €50 plates of pasta al tartufo bianco (pasta with white truffle sauce) in Milan's restaurants.
Coldiretti, the Italian farmers' union, said that its experts it will be a lean year for white truffle lovers. According to Piedmont Truffle-hunters they are finding less than half the truffles compared to 2006, and the only hope is for an improvement toward the end of November.
White truffles have never been an inexpensive ingredient, in fact an Hong Kong entrepreneur, Gordon Wu, last year paid a record €85,000 for a single 3.3 pounds white truffle from Alba.
In addition to going down in history for its early, limited grape harvest, 2007 will being remembered for the lean white truffle production and its related price hike.
Angelo Gaja, one of the most appreciated Piedmont producers of high quality wines, such as Barolo, said that though the final numbers are not in yet, the estimated drop in grape production for his estate amounts to around 20% compared to 2006. He added that Italy has never produced so little, but there is cause for optimism about the quality.
| 
