The boundaries of the Order of the Knights of the Truffle and the Wines of Alba are increasingly vast. On 13 October, the Masters of 11 of the 14 Delegations currently active throughout the world of the Order arrived in the Langhe. The occasion was the Annual Meeting of the Masters of the foreign Delegations, which took place on 14 October in the Hall of Masks of the Grinzane Cavour Castle, during which the Masters discussed the future projects of their Delegations with the Grand Master Tomaso Zanoletti, the Master Coordinator of the foreign Delegations JC Viens, and some representatives of the Ruling Council, and opened a discussion on important issues related to the international development of the Order and on the possible relationships between this formidable network.
On Sunday 15 October the foreign guests were protagonists of the 311th Chapter of the Harvest convened by Grand Master Tomaso Zanoletti. In the room, in addition to the Masters from Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, London, Lithuania, the Czech Republic (the Delegation will be established on November 4th in Prague), Chicago, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Rio de Janeiro, there were also two Knights from the San Francisco Bay Area Delegation, a large group of Knights from Singapore and the Hungarian Delegation, among which there were also some Postulants who chose the setting of the Castle for their appointment as Knights. The cultural part was entrusted to Mauro Carbone, Director of the National Center for Truffle Studies, who gave a talk entitled: “Of trifole and trifolao. A short journey behind the scenes of the world of truffles”. An excursus between science and legend to tell all the charm and mystery that surround an extraordinary product like the tuber magnatum pico, a rare underground mushroom that grows spontaneously and can only be found with the help of a well-trained dog.
“This year – underlines the Grand Master, Tomaso Zanoletti – the Order has established 6 foreign Delegations, bringing the total number to 14. It is a considerable achievement, which ranges from North to South America, from London to the Far East . They are all very motivated Delegations, led by competent and passionate Masters and made up of very authoritative Knights who represent extremely interesting worlds and realities. This means that the Order’s message has an important appeal, which goes beyond food and wine pleasure and is based on a bond of friendship and genuineness, on healthy values that come from tradition and the sharing of the excellences that characterize our lands”.
During the Chapter, the insignia of the Order was awarded to 13 Knight Postulants including Ernesto and Valentina Abbona, owners of the Marchesi di Barolo winery. The meeting ended at the table with an aperitif and lunch by chef Alessandro Mecca, where the Alba White Truffle made its appearance at the table for the first time this season in combination with the dishes and winning wines of the 48th Selection, awarded by the Order’s Tasting Commission.
Another important Chapter took place on Friday 20 October, the 5th Extraordinary of the Milan Delegation. The Ruling Council of the Order, together with the Master of the Delegation Stefano Donarini, welcomed guests at the 5-star hotel The Westin Palace Milan. Enveloped by the scent of the Tuber Magnatum Pico brought to the Council table amidst the applause of those present, Maestro Matteo Ascheri, President of the Consortium for the protection of Barolo, Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani, took turns giving two interesting talks, speaking about “Quality and recognizability in the production of wines” and of Agostino Aprile, President of the Trifulau Piemontesi Association, who talked about “Truffle as sentinel of climate change“. Among the guests, the actor Enzo Iacchetti, Knight of the Order and great friend of the Langhe, entertainer and auctioneer for years at the World Alba White Truffle Auction which this year reaches its XXIV edition.
The Chapter concluded with a four-handed dinner by the chef of the Hotel Moris La Greca and the Chef of the Grinzane Cavour Castle Restaurant, Alessandro Mecca.
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