Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
HUNTING WHITE TRUFFLES
An integral part of local culture since the Middle Ages, some 400 tartufaio (truffle hunters) in the trio
of small valleys around San Miniato snout out the precious fungus, pale ochre in colour, from mid-
October to mid-December. The paths and trails they follow are a family secret, passed between gener-
ations. The truffles their dogs sniff out are worth a small fortune after all, selling for €1500 per kilo-
gram in Tuscany and four times as much in London and other European capitals.
There is no better time to savour the mystique of this cloak-and-dagger truffle trade than during San
Miniato's Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco (National White Truffle Market), the last
three weekends in November, when restaurateurs and truffle tragics come from every corner of the
globe to purchase supplies, sample truffle-based delicacies in the town's shops and restaurants, and
breathe in one of the world's most distinctive aromas. San Miniato tourist office has a list of truffle
dealers and can help you join a truffle hunt.
The best are the early-morning truffle hunts at Barbialla Nuova ( Click here ), a 500-hectare farm,
20km south of San Miniato near Montaione, run by new-generation farmer Guido Manfredi. Two-
hour hunts on the estate end with a glass of Chianti and local organic cheese and salami - or go with
Guido to a local restaurant and savour your truffle shaved over pasta and after, a bistecca alla
fiorentina (chargrilled T-bone steak). Famed far and wide for its enviable success rate when it comes
to uncovering these nuggets of 'white' gold, Barbialla's tartufaio and his dog unearth some 20kg or so
of edible booty in a season.
Sleeping & Eating
Barbialla Nuova
FARMSTAY
(
05 7167 7004; www.barbiallanuova.it ; Via Casastada 49, Montaione; 2/4/6/8 person apt from €100/
160/200/320, minimum 3/7 nights winter/summer; ) Creamy Chianina cows graze on
the hillside and wild boars ferret for truffles between tree roots on this heavily wooded,
500-hectare biodynamic farm with just the right mix of adventure (unpaved roads) and
panache (stylish decor). Apartments in old farmhouses dotted around the property offer
self-catering accommodation and, most memorably, guests get 50% off on the farm's fam-
ous truffle hunts.
Staying here is all about feeding the pigs, admiring the livestock, walking (guests get a
map of trails around the estate), stocking up on fresh organic produce and truffles at the
farm shop - and cooking them up! Barbialla is 20km south of San Miniato on the SP76;
look for the white sign on your right 3km after the village of Carrazano.
Podere del Grillo
MODERN TUSCAN
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