Tuscan Truffle Hunting in Tuscany: When, Where and What to Expect
A morning in the woods above San Miniato with Francesca, Walter and their dogs: how a truffle dog is trained, what you actually do on a hunt, and the myths worth leaving at home.
Where do you go truffle hunting in Tuscany?
The most famous truffle woods in Tuscany are around San Miniato, a hill town halfway between Florence and Pisa, about forty minutes from Florence. The clay soils and damp oak and poplar woods along the valleys here produce the prized white truffle, and every November the town holds its white truffle market fair.
This is where we take our guests, to hunt with a family that has done it for three generations. Francesca and Walter run their family estate, Collebrunacchi, just outside town. They are passionate hunters, of truffles and of wild boar, and they train their own dogs.
Who are the truffle dogs?
Today the family has five dogs. Two are boar dogs, trained to follow blood trails through the woods. Three are truffle dogs. Choco is retired and enjoys the big garden. Ares, two years old, is the one at work. Levante, fourteen months, is still in training.
How is a truffle dog trained?
It takes about two years. Training starts in the places the puppy knows best and moves, step by step, out into the woods, where for the dog the hunt is a game and a way to make its owner happy. The reward is nothing special: the same kibble it gets in the evening before bed.
What you notice on the day is the bond. Hunter and dog talk to each other in a body language only the two of them understand, and a good truffle dog never wanders off after other scents, a hare, a deer, a boar track. It stays on the job, and on its owner.
What happens on a truffle hunt?
The morning starts at the house with a good coffee made by Enrica, Francesca's mother. If it has rained and the paths are muddy, everyone changes into boots. Then into the woods, following Francesca and one dog. Always one dog at a time: two would distract each other.
You walk at the dog's pace on woodland paths, watching it work the ground, nose down, until it stops and starts to dig. Then Francesca takes over, carefully, with her small spade, so the truffle and the ground around it are not damaged.
When is truffle season in Tuscany?
The short answer: all year. For most visitors it splits into two, white and black, but there are smaller seasons inside the year.
- White truffle (bianco pregiato): late autumn into early winter, roughly October to December. It is rare and precious, and some years are poor.
- Marzuolo (bianchetto): a smaller, sharper white truffle of late winter and spring.
- Scorzone: the summer black truffle, milder and more affordable.
- Black winter truffle (nero pregiato): when the weather turns cold.
The exact window changes with the area, the weather and where you search. If seeing a white truffle is the dream, come between October and December, and keep your expectations open.
A morning we still talk about
One windy October morning we were out with Choco. We had found nothing. Another hunter had been through the wood before us with two dogs, and it looked like the day would end empty-handed. Then the wind changed. It carried the scent straight to Choco's nose, he turned, ran and started digging. He had found a white truffle of about 100 grams, worth around €500. Francesca, our guests and Choco himself: we have rarely seen so much happiness in one wood.
What is the truffle lunch like?
Lunch is served in the family's historic house, among statues, paintings and a beautiful grand piano. Three courses, all with fresh truffle shaved over the plate: simple dishes from the local farming tradition, with nothing synthetic added to boost the flavour or the scent. With truffle of this quality you do not need it.
Afterwards you can taste what Francesca makes herself, truffle oil, truffle salt and balsamic vinegar, and buy it at the shop by the entrance. You can also buy wine, and the truffle found that same morning, or have them shipped home.
How much do truffles cost?
There is no fixed price. Truffles are sold at the market price of the day, which moves with the season, the weather and how much the hunters are finding. White truffle is by far the most expensive: as a rough guide, the 100 gram truffle Choco found was worth about €500.
Three truffle myths to leave at home
"They use pigs." Not here. In Italy truffles are hunted with dogs: a dog points the truffle and waits for its reward, a pig would eat it.
"Truffle oil is all fake." Many supermarket oils are flavoured with a synthetic aroma, which is where the reputation comes from. Francesca's is made the slow way: fresh truffles are laid on a mesh and steamed above the oil, so their aroma passes into it. Taste the two side by side and you will not go back.
"You can find white truffle any time." No. The white is a late autumn and early winter truffle, and not always even then. That rarity is exactly why it is so precious.
Frequently asked questions
When is truffle season in Tuscany?
All year round. The prized white truffle is found in late autumn and early winter, roughly October to December, and not every year is generous. The rest of the year belongs to the black truffles: marzuolo (bianchetto) in late winter and spring, scorzone in summer, and the black winter truffle when it turns cold. The exact window shifts with the area, the weather and the rain.
Do they still use pigs to find truffles?
No. In Italy truffles are hunted with dogs. A dog is trained to point the truffle and wait, while a pig would simply eat it.
Is a truffle guaranteed on a hunt?
No, and that is what makes it real. Most mornings the dog finds something, but the woods are wild, other hunters pass through and the wind decides where the scent goes.
Can I buy the truffle we find?
Yes. Truffles found that day can be bought, or shipped home with wine. The price follows the market price of that day, which changes with the season and with how much has been found.
Is truffle oil fake?
Many supermarket truffle oils are flavoured with synthetic aroma. The oil made by the family we hunt with is not: fresh truffles are steamed on a mesh above the oil, so their aroma passes into it.