The unearthing of two truffles weighing nearly 300 grams and 750 grams each during a recent Truffle Hunt Day has further entrenched Manjimup’s Wine and Truffle Co’s viability.
The specially scheduled event coincided with the visit to Perth of Pierre-Jean Pebeyre, a fourth-generation French truffle expert and influential world truffle broker.
Upon seeing what the Manjimup’s hazelnut trees are capable of, Mr Pebeyre declared that WA’s truffle industry was equal in quality to the French product.
Mr Pebeyre also intimated that significant export opportunities exist for the company once its annual truffle harvest reaches sufficient quantities – about two tonnes a year – which would provide Europe with fresh truffle for the summer season.
Although two tonnes doesn’t sound like a lot for an agricultural endeavour, truffles currently sell for more that $2,000 a kilo.
The Manjimup trufferie has already harvested more than 100 kilograms of quality truffle this season and has several weeks to run. This year’s harvest was four times larger than last year, and the company expects to double this year’s harvest in 2007.
And while specially trained dogs (not pigs) sniff out this ‘black gold’, a second plantation, Oak Valley Truffles, was launched to the marketplace in May. Situated three kilometres from the main operation, Oak Valley will eventually swell to 74 hectares.
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If you think Margaret River vignerons take cabernet seriously, you should spend an afternoon with a Coonawarra winemaker.
A few Perth wine lovers were lucky enough to do just that as part of the Coonawarra Cabernet Celebration, which runs from October 20-22.
The highlight of this celebration of the mighty grape is often the Barrel Series Auction.
The event offers barriques of Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2005 Vintage. 11 individual barrels, selected as outstanding examples representative of the differing Coonawarra styles, are presented by the Vignerons and auctioned for the highest bid.
This year, proceeds go to the Penola War Memorial Hospital Inc.
Each winemaker will bottle their wine directly after auction, individually label the wine and sign it.
