The white truffle, Tuber magnatum Pico, cannot be cultivated. It cannot be farmed, inoculated or reliably predicted. It grows wild in symbiosis with oak, hazel and poplar roots in specific micro-climates in Piedmont and Tuscany, available for roughly eight weeks from mid-October to late November. The most valuable food on earth by weight (€4,000 to €6,000 per kilogram in a good year; twice that in a poor harvest) requires specific conditions: the right forest, the right dog, the right nose, the right morning. We arrange the morning.
Where in Tuscany | San Miniato, Volterra and the Hills of Pisa
Piedmont's Langhe (Alba) gets the international spotlight. San Miniato, 40 kilometres southwest of Florence in the Valdarno, produces truffle of equivalent quality with a fraction of the press: which means access, privacy, and prices that have not yet been inflated by Michelin pilgrimage tourism. The Colline Pisane (hills of Pisa province) and the area around Volterra produce white truffle of comparable quality to Alba in strong years.
Our preferred partner is a third-generation trifolao (truffle hunter) based in the hills above San Miniato, operating with two Lagotto Romagnolo dogs trained since birth to discriminate white truffle from black. The territory is private, fenced, and completely off the public path. You will not encounter another group.
The Morning | What Actually Happens
Departure from Florence at 6:45 in a Mercedes V-Class. Arrive at the estate by 8:00, truffle hunting is a morning activity because the ground moisture is highest before 10am and the dogs' sense of smell is sharpest in the cool air. The trifolao will spend 90 minutes working the dogs across a circuit of his territory. A find (not guaranteed, but highly probable in October and November with our partner) results in a careful hand-excavation; the truffle is weighed, assessed for quality, and photographed.
Back at the farmhouse: breakfast prepared by the trufolao's family with truffle butter, eggs with shaved truffle, and local bread. Wine: a Vernaccia di San Gimignano from the estate's neighbour. This portion of the experience often extends for 2 to 3 hours because conversation about truffle, the soil, the season, the prices, the black market, is genuinely interesting and the host is a compelling narrator.
Lunch in San Miniato | The Starred Table
Pepenero (Michelin starred, San Miniato) serves one of the most restrained and precise truffle menus in Tuscany. Chef Gilberto Rossi uses truffle in every course from September through November: raw on egg, with tagliolini, with raw scallop, infused into butter for a final cheese course. Priority reservation through FFGR Italia for 2-6 with advance menu selection.
For clients wanting a more intimate lunch, we arrange a private meal at a farmhouse in the hills: a truffle-focused menu prepared by a personal chef, served in a restored stone dining room with open fire, for 2-10 people. This option requires 10 days advance notice.
Purchasing | What to Do with Your Find
The trifolao will offer the truffles found during your morning at local market price, current season pricing applies. For context: a 100g white truffle (a good size for 4 people) in October 2025 traded at €320-380 from reputable hunters; December specimens can reach €700+. Vacuum packaging and cold chain delivery to your hotel or residence in Italy is included; for international transport, our concierge provides the correct refrigerated shipping documentation.
For clients wanting to purchase serious quantities (multiple kilograms for gifting or cellar use), we facilitate direct introductions to two trusted traders in Florence and San Miniato. These relationships require professional introduction: the truffle market has significant counterfeiting problems and provenance matters.
