The curtain rises on the 91st edition of the International Alba White Truffle Fair, announcing a new course starting from 9 October. “Connect with nature” – this is the theme for 2021 – will see the relevance of a very contemporary challenge, that of sustainability, alongside the centrality of food and wine. Understood not only in its environmental meaning, but also declined along the social and economic lines.
“Recent years have seen a qualitative increase in the profile of the tourist and in media attention thanks to a strategic choice: the shift of focus from the product, the Alba White Truffle, to its use in haute cuisine, with the involvement of numerous starred local, national and international chefs, alongside the chefs of trattorias and taverns of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, guardians of the local gastronomic tradition – says the president of the International Alba White Truffle Fair, Liliana Allena -. We believe the time has come to give the event a new course, characterized by a cultural turning point that takes into account the challenges our society can no longer avoid: a new paradigm in environmental protection, measuring itself against climate change and sustainability, always aiming more about team play”.
The Fair has always valued and promoted the Tuber magnatum Pico, fruit of the earth: its very existence and its harvest, from year to year, are increasingly conditioned by the ongoing climatic changes. The same ones that led the organization to postpone the opening of the event by a week, given the postponement of the truffle season, with the start of the 91st edition scheduled for October 9, arriving until December 5.
Sustainability will be declined on three axes: environmental, social and economic, through an integrated approach in which they will dialogue with each other personalities from the world of high finance, digital innovation, excellent craftsmanship, high fashion, art, music, design and culture and, of course, signature cuisine.
By connecting Alba with the rest of the planet, Dawn to Earth involves the use of Alba White Truffle as ambassador and its annual fair as a shared house to be made available to highlight the most valid projects with an ethical background in the world panorama of food, biodiversity, high finance and ICT, seeking out the "game changers" of every continent to offer them support, networking and storytelling or promotion campaigns aimed at opening up their message and the nature of their efforts to a wider audience.
The Fair Authority has started the process to implement a management system for the Alba White Truffle Fair in line with the sustainability requirements of the international standard ISO 20121, on the sustainable management of events which is therefore designed to minimize the impact on the environment and at the same time enhance the positive effects on people and the territory: Bureau Veritas Italia, one of the leaders in testing, inspection and certification activities, will conduct checks on the occasion of the main stages of the Alba White Truffle Fair (planning - execution - sustainability reporting). The ISO 20121 certification is a prestigious acknowledgment of international importance which will help enhance the image of the Fair among an increasingly attentive and sensitive public to sustainability issues.
The heart of the Fair will remain the Alba White Truffle World Market, together with the Albaqualità review, inside the Cortile della Maddalena. It will be the place where you can buy magnificent specimens of Tuber magnatum Pico, carefully selected by the Truffle Sensory Analysis judges, trained by the National Center for Truffle Studies.
To embellish everything, the Alba Truffle Show (in the Sala Beppe Fenoglio), with gourmet creations born from the skilful inspiration of great names in national and international cuisine, the Truffle Sensory Analysis seminars - an immersive experience that allows to get to know the characteristics of the truffle in a simple but profound way and the Wine Tasting Experiences dedicated to the great wines of Langhe, Monferrato and Roero. The format of the unusual dinners has been confirmed again this year, which will see the successful combination of prestigious settings and starred chefs re-propose.
Alba, together with Bergamo and Parma - the three Italian Unesco Creative Cities for gastronomy - this year will be the protagonist of the Creative Moments: through a twinning with the other cities that share this title all over the world, a new way of meeting will be proposed and to plan the future together, create and contaminate, entering into each other's culture. The calendar foresees the presence of a different international partner for each Sunday of the Fair.
Waiting for Global Conference on Wine Tourism, which in 2022 will see Alba as the world capital of wine tourismor, by hosting the forum promoted by the UNWTO, the United Nations agency that deals with the promotion of sustainable tourism, there are several events that will see His Majesty the Alba White Truffle as protagonist together with winegrowing realities of absolute excellence.
Beyond the consolidated partnership with the Alta Langa DOCG Consortium and the Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani Protection Consortium, this year the world of Champagne will make its debut at the Fair.
Among the other "firsts", the Barolo en primeur auction will be held at the end of October, promoted by the CRC Foundation, in which the barriques produced by the "Cascina Gustava" vineyard, at the foot of the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, will be auctioned.
Renewing a successful appointment, here is La Vendemmia, one of the most awaited events of the Milanese autumn, conceived and promoted by the MonteNapoleone District, with the aim of uniting the great international luxury brands and the most prestigious national and international wineries, with the participation of the best restaurants and 5-star luxury hotels in the city.
To mark the calendar of the Fair, the appointment with theWorld Truffle Auction, event that over time has been able to reconcile the promotion of local excellence with solidarity, allocating huge funds to charitable causes. In connection with the Grinzane Cavour Castle – headquarters of the Piedmontese Cavour Regional Enoteca, recently enriched by the inauguration of the “In Vigna” open-air museum -, on 14 November Hong Kong, Moscow, Singapore and Dubai (where the Expo will begin on 1 October) will compete for the most prestigious lots of Alba White Truffle.
