Guests at the Palazzo Malaspina Bed and Breakfast in San Donato in Poggio, an enchanting medieval Tuscan village surrounded by a breathtaking landscape, have the opportunity to experience the exciting truffle hunt, right in the heart of Chianti, where the hills are full of the Black and prestigious White Truffles.
Our truffle hunter will pick you up directly at the B&B and take you just a few kilometers away from San Donato in Poggio, to the truffle patch called the ‘Tartufaia del Fiano’. There you will enjoy a spectacular view of San Gimignano, while being immersed in the exquisite Tuscan countryside and feeling the magic of truffles. Your truffle hunt experience starts here!
The experience links the Chianti area to the real star of the show: the truffle dog
Indeed, the truffle dog is center front and foremost during the hunt. The truffle dog has a highly developed sense of smell, and is the faithful friend of the truffle hunter and yours too, for the day, who will walk alongside you, determining the pace of the group, moving through the woods in Chianti, smelling the trunks of poplar, oak, beech and hazelnut trees. Don’t worry, though, they are easy walking paths, even if the hilly terrain makes them sometimes uneven.
While walking among and around the trees in this classic Tuscan hilly environment, characterized by trees spaced far enough part to form sparse groves and areas where there is no spontaneous vegetation, the dog continues to go back and forth near one particular place. Then, suddenly it will be struck by the scent in a very precise point, and will begin to lightly dig around to attract the attention of the truffle hunter.
The truffle hunter will be right there with his special hoe and very delicately dig a hole at the point where the dog had started digging. He will then carefully pull out the truffle with his hands releasing its incredible aroma.
Hunting for truffles, whether white or black, is one of the most intense emotional experiences that the Chianti hills offer.
The Truffle expert will give you a very accurate explanation of the characteristics of the black and white truffle (and their differences) during the hunting experience. He will describe their environment and narrate their history. Although the botanical name classifies the truffle as a “tuber”, it is actually a mushroom that is born and lives underground.
The term derives from the Latin, “tufera”. The types of truffles vary according to the seasons: white truffles are found only from end September to January, while in late spring and summer you will find black truffles, known as “scorzoni”. Their aroma and taste is less valuable than that of the white truffle, but the experience of seeing the dog at work is unforgettable!
To find a truffle is to find a treasure!
And then, after the hunt for truffles is over, everyone sits down at table in a typical Chianti restaurant, a few kilometers away from B&B Palazzo Malaspina, to savor a delicious lunch based on the fragrant tuber. The truffle areas in Tuscany map an unparalleled natural and gastronomic itinerary!