The best place to see the latest happenings in the Truffiere is to check out our facebook page.
Winter 2022
The first for Byron and Dianne – learning how to use their nose. Determine good from bad truffle and what are the best things to do once it’s in the kitchen.
Winter 2021
Images to be sourced from Sue and Peter
Winter 2020 – Covid-19 and More Truffles
The 2020 truffle hunting season is well started and will soon end with the last hunt of the year about mid August.
This year has locked in an increase in production from last year to nearly 2 kilograms from the same tree as last year plus some new trees coming to the party. Karen from Truffle Dog Services has been visiting with Indi ‘the master’ and Willow ‘the apprentice’. They are both stars and also had help from Zorro.
This year the production has tweaked the interest of foodies and residents in the district and there has been a lot of experimenting going on in the kitchens – where most of this year’s truffle has gone to fuel the future culinary fires.
Truffle butter, Truffle pasta dishes, Truffle mashed potato, Truffle ice cream, Truffle cheeses and so many more possibilities!
After the last truffle hunts of the season, it will be time for some tree pruning, tidy up work in the truffiere and sit back with a pinot noir and truffle cheeses and dream of the 2021 hunting season.
Winter 2019 – The First Truffles
So the trees really are big now and will need to be controlled somewhat!
But below ground they have now produced the first truffles. Beautiful black authenticated Perigord Black Truffles sufficient to really get a taste and to truffle some eggs for that extra special omelette.
In July Indy and her controller Karen from Truffle Dog Services (www.truffledogservices.co.nz) were back to check on progress and wouldn’t you know it found truffles on what is now our favourite tree!
Maybe the most northerly producing truffiere in NZ? All good things do take time!
Perhaps we will see more this year, but here’s to more trees joining the programme in 2020.
March 2014
The trees are getting really big. How exciting!
July 2012
We visited Western Australia (WA) to see what is happening with the truffle industry in that area.
There are large plantings of truffles in WA and considerable amounts of truffles being produced, which are used in the export market and being exported to Asia and Europe. We also visited the Mundaring wine and truffle festival just inland from Perth. See the below photos, showing a couple of the truffle dishes we sampled.
2007
Peter and Sue planted 150 infected evergreen Quercus Ilex Oaks with the long term plan of producing the Périgord Black truffle (Tuber melanosporum)….
The plan is a long term one as truffles can take up to 10 years to produce. As Truffles are mostly grown in the Northern hemisphere, to be able to produce them in the Southern hemisphere in the off-season of the Northern Hemisphere the demand will be high. There are restaurants in NZ also keen to secure supply.
With good management of the Truffieré and careful maintenance – hopefully we will be sharing good news with those interested in the years to come!. We will post updates on this website.
Please feel free to email us with your enquiries – for either the Lodge accommodation or Truffles via our Contacts page