The 92nd edition of the International Alba White Truffle Fair was presented at the Microsoft Italia headquarters in Milan. Thus, the collaboration, born in 2020, between the Fair organization and the Redmond company is strengthened, which with the contribution of the technological partner Si-Net has allowed the development of an innovative digital sensory analysis project in parallel to the activities in presence on the territory of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, allowing anyone in the world, during the pandemic, to fully experience the experiences related to the Alba White Truffle.

Hence, after “Connected with nature” comes “Time is up”, time is up: this is the theme for 2022, taking up the trend launched in the past edition, with the turning point announced in a “sustainability” key, which represents the passepartout to enter the future of this event, as of any other major event that wants to keep up with the times. This year’s payoff aims to further stimulate reflection on what is happening in nature and the need to act quickly to tackle climate change, of which the Alba White Truffle is a perfect indicator. Because it is not the Planet at risk, but the living conditions of the human race, our habits, the daily life of each of us. With “Time is up”, the Fair Authority intends to invite you to act to seize the opportunities that, as always, arise from every transformation: act quickly, act consciously, act with ethics and social responsibility.

Waiting to find out all the details on the Alba event, in the traditional presentation in the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato area, scheduled for next September 14, the Milan press conference lifts the veil on the 92nd edition, which approaches the public with a language contemporary, launching an appeal that intercepts the sensitivity of the new generations.

“The challenge that the International Alba White Truffle Fair aims to take on is that of always being contemporary: we realize that due to the urgency of climate change issues we need to face and stimulate a cultural change that necessarily must involve the new generations more and more. Because young people are not the future, but the present – says the president of the Fair Liliana Allena -. With the Fair we would like to intercept the tourists of tomorrow, who may not travel yet today and live immersed in the digital, social and gaming world, but who will soon be the protagonists of tourist flows, and will do so looking for more and more experiences straddling the real world. and the virtual. In the 92nd edition we will deal with many themes with great transversality, that same transversality that characterizes our audience, proposing a program that is both pop and refined, without obviously distorting our identity, but taking advantage of the opportunities that each phase of change brings with it. “.

“The International Alba White Truffle Fair opens its doors facing the international scenario for the 92nd time with a green-colored appointment in the name of sustainability – underline the President of the Piedmont Region and the Vice President with responsibility for Truffle Alberto Cirio – , promising, as always, to put the exclamation point on the programming of the great regional events that extend onto the world stage of excellent gastronomy. Over time, the combination of Piedmont and the Alba Truffle – they added – has become a happy metaphor to indicate our lands as a place of welcome and tasting, extraction and transformation of a jewel of nature that is increasingly appreciated and loved, and today it has even become a icon of wisdom that pushes us to correct some distortions of our habits in the name of safeguarding the environment “.

DATES
For nine weeks, Alba and the territory are preparing to come alive through the countless proposals of the Fair for all lovers of Langhe white gold: the start of the 92nd edition is scheduled for Saturday 8 October, arriving until Sunday 4 December. The Fair will be open every weekend on Saturdays and Sundays, with the extraordinary opening on Monday 31 October and Tuesday 1 November.

TIME IS UP
The theme of this 92nd edition refers to a transversal concept, resuming the focus on sustainability (environmental, social and economic) introduced last year: time is up, thinking both about the need to intervene to stop climate change, and looking at choices economic and social responsibility, of companies as well as individuals. Hence the last weekend of October (28, 29 and 30) the cycle of “Crossed Sustainability” meetings will return, bringing people from the world of high finance, digital innovation and craftsmanship to dialogue with each other. excellence, art, music, haute couture,

of design and culture and, of course, of designer cuisine, called to think about the urgency of a change of course, at all levels, suggested by young people who, from spectators, will become active “players”.

DAWN TO EARTH
Also this year Alba will then find its connection with the rest of the Planet through Dawn to Earth, the project that involves the use of the Alba White Truffle as an ambassador and its annual fair as a shared house to be made available to highlight to the most valid ethical projects in the world panorama of food, biodiversity, high finance and ICT: after chef Norbert Niederkofler, the “game changers” identified for this year are chefs Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto , of the Venissa restaurant in Mazorbo, by virtue of their commitment through “environmental cuisine”. In the Venice lagoon, the chefs offer sustainable and avant-garde cuisine that describes, on the one hand, an addiction and great consistency between the dishes on offer and the surrounding environment. On the other hand, it denotes an almost obsessive attention to the “environmental issue”, and therefore to the most current issues such as waste reduction, self-production, proximity supply, seasonality and recovery.

THE CERTIFICATION
The path started last year to implement a management system for the Alba White Truffle Fair in line with the sustainability requirements of the international standard ISO 20121, on sustainable event management, continues, designing the Fair in order to minimize the impact on the environment and at the same time enhance the positive effects on people and on the territory. The first step was the ISO 20121 certification, a prestigious international recognition, which will contribute to further enhance the image of the Fair – which will also be joined by Vinum, the event organized by the Ente Fiera di Alba dedicated to the great wines of Piedmont – always with an audience more attentive and sensitive to sustainability issues.

THE KITCHEN AT THE CENTER
To embellish everything, the Alba Truffle Show (inside the Beppe Fenoglio Room), ready to welcome, in the usual atmosphere of refined familiarity, the gourmet creations born from the skilful inspiration of great names in national and international cuisine, the seminars Sensory Analysis of the Truffle – an immersive experience that allows you to know in a simple but profound way the characteristics of the truffle and the Wine Tasting Experiences dedicated to the great wines of Langhe, Monferrato and Roero -; many chefs are ready to sign the numerous cooking shows, letting themselves be seduced and inspired by the aroma of our most precious diamond.

The winning format of the unusual dinners has been confirmed, which will see the successful combination of prestigious scenarios and starred chefs reappear. Crossing the borders of the hills of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, the Alba White Truffle will also stop this year in Cuneo, thanks to the collaboration with the Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo Foundation: on October 14, the educational and innovation center ” Rondò dei Talenti ”will host the“ Dinner of the Talent ”.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE
Also this year the appointments that will see Alba – together with Bergamo and Parma, one of the three Unesco Creative Cities for Italian gastronomy – are the protagonists of the Creative Moments: through a twinning with the other cities that share this title all over the world, on October 31 and November 1, the Fair will host foreign chefs who will conduct cooking shows offering a traditional dish from their country paired with the Alba White Truffle, for a cultural contamination with a very high added value.

And still talking about Unesco, the weekend of 19-20 November will be dedicated to the “Truffle hunting and quarrying in Italy”: an entire weekend will involve the national association Città del Tartufo with Fnati (National Federation of Italian Truffle Associations), celebrating the recognition that last December brought this practice to registration in the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

TRUFFLE AND WINE
After Unesco, another United Nations agency will be at home in the area, thanks to the forum promoted by UNWTO, the UN agency that deals with the promotion of sustainable tourism. Collecting the pitcher from Portugal, Alba will become the world capital of wine tourism by virtue of the Global Conference on Wine Tourism: on the long wave of the September appointment, there will be many events that will see his majesty the White Truffle of Alba protagonist together with wineries of absolute excellence.

Beyond the consolidated alliance with the Alta Langa DOCG Consortium and the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani, the partnership with the great international wines is renewed: after the Champagne of 2021, this year will make its debut at the Fair the world of Burgundy, with a weekend – from 25 to 27 November – full of events and dinners that will enhance the combination of the great French reds and the precious white of Alba.

Speaking of great reds, on Friday 28 October the Barolo en primeur auction will be repeated, an appointment in the name of solidarity promoted by the CRC Foundation, in which the barriques produced by the “Cascina Gustava” vineyard, at the foot of the Grinzane Castle, will be beaten Cavour.

Renewing a successful appointment, from 3 to 9 October here is La Vendemmia, one of the most anticipated events of the Milanese autumn, conceived and promoted by Montenapoleone District, with the aim of uniting the great international luxury brands and the most prestigious national wineries and international, with the participation of the best restaurants and 5-star luxury hotels in the city.

THE FOLKLORE
As per the successful tradition, to anticipate the nine weeks of the Fair, Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October the City of Alba will wear the enamels of the city villages by proposing the appointment with the Folklore Weekend, with the Palio degli Asini and the proposed activities from the Giostra delle Cento Torri. Two weeks later, on the weekend of 15 and 16 October, after the stop imposed by the pandemic, the Baccanale dei Borghi returns to the squares of the historic city center, with the cuisine of the historic districts of Alba to satisfy the palate of the thousands of gourmets arriving to relive the medieval atmospheres that will characterize the historic city center.

FROM THE LANGHE, ROERO AND MONFERRATO TO THE WORLD
Crossing the Alps, the Tuber magnatum Pico will then return to the court of S.A.S. Albert II of Monaco, in an exclusive event at the Montecarlo Yacht Club.
Among other international events, the truffle season will experience an extension at the most prestigious ski resorts in the world: in addition to the starred dinner with Alba White Truffle at the Skyway of Courmayeur, on Mont Blanc, the collaboration with Verbier and Martigny (where the Barry Foundation is based, aimed at the protection and enhancement of Saint Bernard dogs), in Switzerland.
Finally, the white gold of the Langhe will fly overseas, from 15 to 19 November, to the USA, the first non-EU market for the Fair, for the promotion that will be carried out through two events in New York and Miami.

TRUFFLE HUB
Reconfirmed also for this year, after the debut in the last edition, is the Truffle Hub, a branch of the Fair at the Roddi Castle, transformed into a territorial digital hub that will act as a showcase for Piedmontese food and wine excellences, enhanced through the organization of dinners signed by chefs arriving from all over the region.
The relevance of the manor will also host, every Monday morning, the cooking courses held by the guest chefs that will allow participants to live a unique experience, discovering the recipes to combine the White Truffle of Alba and the wines of the territory, finally tasting what he created with his own hands.
New this year, the professional kitchen face to face with the chef, with courses for single or couple, followed by lunch or dinner in the company of the chef himself, for an immersive experience in haute cuisine, tasting the dishes made , accompanied by the best wines of the area.

THE NEW YEAR OF THE TRUFFLE
A well-established tradition is that of the celebration of Tuber Primae Noctis, the New Year of the Truffle, which will be an opportunity to toast – after the biological shutdown – to the first night of the year when the search for trifulau is started. On the night between 20 and 21 September, coinciding with the events of the Global Conference on Wine Tourism, at the stroke of midnight the Castle of Grinzane Cavour will be the scene of an event of global importance in which the opening of the search, regulated by the regional calendar which provides – after the period of biological shutdown – the harvest from 21 September to 31 January.

THE WORLD AUCTION OF TRUFFLES
To mark the calendar of the Fair, once again this year the appointment with the World Truffle Auction is renewed, an event that over time has been able to reconcile the promotion of local excellence with solidarity, allocating large funds to charitable causes. In connection with the Castle of Grinzane Cavour – headquarters of the Cavour Piedmontese Regional Enoteca -, on November 13 Hong Kong, Singapore and Vienna will compete, relaunch after relaunch, for the most prestigious lots of selected specimens of Alba White Truffle.

THE DESIGN
A new object will therefore enrich the Kit for the Alba White Truffle: after the “Pepita” branded Maison Raynaud, the truffle slicers “Alba” designed by Ben van Berkel for Alessi and “Xfetta” created by Davide Oldani, the gloves ” Trace “designed by Patricia Urquiola, the” Giacomo “truffle brushes – designed by Gufram, the Italian design brand that has always distinguished itself

stands out for its pop identity, disruptive and radical, and imagined by Job Smeets – this year will be the turn of a new object created by the architect and designer Fabio Novembre.

THE CULTURE
In the year in which Alba celebrates the centenary of the birth of Beppe Fenoglio, a rich calendar of cultural events will be the corollary to the 92nd edition of the Fair, with details of the appointments that will be unveiled in the weeks to come.

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