Wine and Truffles

Pairing wines with truffles

Truffles are in season for only a couple of months each year – and with the unique tasting experience that this prized mushroom represents, choosing the wine to pair with truffle is very important.
Black truffles, currently the only truffle commercially available in the Canberra region, can be used both raw or cooked. It has a delicate, almost sweet flavour, and it often pairs well with younger, structured wines. While young wines have obvious attractions, older wines bring different charms to the table. Wines with some bottle age develop aromas and flavours that work well with the earthiness, mushroom and savoury flavours of truffle. Think reds with earthy notes of
mushroom, leather, wood, characteristics that match well with the strong earthiness, mushroom and savouriness of truffle.

While being the star of the dish, truffle is not the only ingredient bringing flavour and texture to a dish. It is important to also consider the other ingredients that make up the dish when choosing what to drink with truffle. If you choose your wine carefully, the sophisticated and intense flavours released by truffle-based dishes can be enhanced even more by pairing them with carefully chosen wines. The main rule for the perfect wine-truffle pairing is to consider wine as an accompaniment to truffle, Wine should never overcome truffle with its taste or scent. Any wine that enhances the delicate aromaticity of truffle, without overwhelming it with their character or bouquet, are the perfect candidates to accompany truffle-based dishes. Generally, opt for lighter bodied wines with a discrete quantity of tannins, and a slightly fragrant scent.

Wine Suggestions

Chardonnay
With its nutty flavours, weight and creamy notes from barrel fermentation and ageing, as well as fresh acidity, chardonnay will complement chicken stuffed with truffle, risotto with truffle, baked Camembert and truffle or a warm cream and vegetable soup flavoured with truffle.

Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir and truffles understand each other. Both have a haunting perfume, earthiness and mysterious depths that are seductive beyond mere words. Pinot noir will complement mushroom and truffle pizza, duck and truffle or a simple steak sandwich enriched with truffles.

Sweet Wines
There are a number of absolutely gorgeous desserts that can be made with truffles – think truffle crème brulee, truffle panna cotta and truffle ice cream. These can be paired beautifully with an elegant, but not TOO sweet, chilled dessert wine. – either late-harvest or botrytis dessert wine.

Sparkling Wines
Dryer sparkling wines go well with so many things – and that includes many truffle dishes – for example, truffle risotto, truffle cauliflower soup, truffled cheesy polenta. And it is always a great way to start the evening – even if you have planned to serve other wines with the truffle dinner courses.

Truffled Cheeses & Wine

Truffle Brie (or similar) is usually widely available during the truffle season and is beautiful either by itself for a lunch or afternoon snack or at the end of a dinner. But the rind of the cheese can affect the taste of the wine – especially red wines.
If you really prefer a red wine with truffle brie, select a lighter-bodied or fruity variety – for example Sangiovese, Nebbiolo or Grenache. Fuller-bodied reds have higher tannins that work well for aged cheeses but can easily overpower brie’s subtle flavours. They can also make the cheese taste chalky or metallic.
A not too aromatic, slightly older, white wine. is often a better choice with a truffle brie. White wines often have lower tannins and more acidity. These characteristics do very well with the creaminess of the cheese. Sparkling wines are also an excellent option.
For cheeses like truffle cheddar or truffled pecorino which are now widely available, any slightly heavier bodied cool-climate wines like Tempranillo, Merlot or Shiraz will work well.

Local Wineries Serving Truffle

Contentious Character Annual Winemaker Truffle Gala – 27 July

Book your place here.

Pankhurt Wines Cellar Door – weekends throughout the season

Pankhurst Wines is offering a platter of truffle cheese to enjoy with their award-winning wines. The platter goes particularly well with the Pinot Noir and Dorothy May Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which won Bronze Medals at the National Wine Show recently.

Best to make a booking either by email (allanandchristine@pankhurstwines.com.au) or phone (0418 667433).

$30 for a platter for 2 people (plus normal tasting fees of $15/person).

Visit their website.

Lerida Estate Winery Cellar & Cafe Truffle Menu – Every weekend in July

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