A very rare 1.009 gram triple truffle, quarried in the Roero area, was sold in Hong Kong for the remarkable sum of 110.000 euros, 1 million Hong Kong dollars, at the Alba White Truffle World Auction, held today at Grinzane Cavour Castle. The auction was paired with large formats of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG and wines from producers belonging to the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani.
The hammer also fell on three other specimens of Alba White Truffle weighing 249, 331 and 402 grams, which went to the Cuneo entrepreneur Alessia Bertolotto, general director of Marcopolo Environmental Group, to the Cherasco entrepreneur Mariano Costamagna and to a Chinese tourist, the teacher Roy Yu.
The connection with Hong Kong – in the presence of the Vice Consul General of Italy Antonietta Cornacchia, the president of the Langhe Monferrato Roero Tourism Board Mariano Rabino, the president of the Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani Consortium Sergio Germano, and Maria Pranzo (Areté Food and Wine), was held with the prestigious three-Michelin-starred restaurant “8 e mezzo Bombana”, with Chef Umberto Bombana creating a dinner worthy of the importance of the event.
A total of €502.000 was raised at this year's Alba White Truffle World Auction, which was donated to charitable projects in Italy and around the world. Numerous philanthropists, connected from locations in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Vienna, Frankfurt, and, for the first time, Rio de Janeiro, competed in a charity competition, bidding for priceless lots of Tuber magnatum Picco.
In Singapore, the auction took place at Chef Mirko Febbrile's restaurant "Somma," while in Vienna, the venue was the Italian Embassy, with a dinner curated by Chefs Luciano Tona and Denis König.
Frankfurt saw the return of the Brighella restaurant, with Chef Leo Caporale, along with the president of the Alta Langa Consortium, Giovanni Minetti. In Bangkok, at the Four Seasons Hotel, the event was led by Chef Andrea Accordi, supported by Chefs Paolo Vitaletti, Christian Martena, Davide Garavaglia, Andrea Susto, and Gabriele Boffa. A unique truffle breakfast made its debut in Rio de Janeiro, with an event organized by the Brasilia, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro delegations of the Order of Knights of the Truffle and Wines of Alba, at the Alba restaurant, with Chef Michele Petenzi.
Since 1999, total funds raised have exceeded €7,7 million. This year's funds in Italy will support the Every Child Is My Child Onlus Association, the Emiliano Mondonico Association, the North Kinangop Hospital in Kenya, which is also live-linked with Grinzane Cavour, as well as many other charitable initiatives. Hong Kong will donate funds to the Mother's Choice Institute (dedicated to helping children in need), Singapore to the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Singapore's only community veterinary clinic, Vienna to Acker Österreich (a charity working to improve understanding and appreciation of natural foods, sustainability, and agriculture), and Frankfurt to the Youth Cup for youth Paralympic sports. In Bangkok, the proceeds from the auction will go to the Border Patrol Police School Foundation, under the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, while in Brazil, the children of Rio's favelas will benefit from the charity Solar Meninos de Luz.
Piedmont Region President Alberto Cirio commented: "Thanks to the live streaming between Grinzane Cavour Castle and prestigious locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Vienna, Frankfurt, Bangkok, and Rio de Janeiro, this year's World Truffle Auction has once again performed a small, yet great, miracle. It has introduced Piedmont's 'gold of the land' to far-flung and diverse countries and markets, which are increasingly discovering the richness of our region's food and wine, tourism, and culture. It has also offered them the opportunity to hear firsthand from chefs, ambassadors, experts, and producers the fascinating stories of our excellent supply chains. The beautiful thing is that the ambassador of this global promotion is a product inseparable from its small territory, impossible to replicate elsewhere, and thus becomes an even greater invitation to come and discover Piedmont in all its richness."
