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The Garden Path
Henri Ruppert, a winemaker, discovered a 700g truffle in a nearby field and decided to start growing them.
Henri Ruppert, a winemaker from Henri, found a 700g truffle growing in a field nearby and decided to start growing them.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
When Henri Ruppert chanced upon a massive 700g truffle in a local field, the Luxembourg winemaker had unwittingly stumbled onto a new path growing the king of all mushrooms.
Ruppert, however, sought a more consistent way to succeed than traditional truffle hunters. He believed that truffles would thrive if they could be grown in the right conditions. They can thrive with the right cultivation.
Today, success is all around us. But this isn’t a ‘get rich quick’ story. Ruppert started cultivating truffles years ago, aided by the Moselle’s rich alkaline soil and an orchard of trees from the birch family, such as hazelnut. He inoculated trees with truffle spores. The waiting began.
Ruppert stated in a conspiratorial tone that the soil is the key to growing truffles. ‘‘A high PH of around 7.5 to 8 is best’’, he says, ‘‘but nature ultimately decides what works. The soil makes the choice.’’
But humans have always known we can manipulate nature’s mindset. Ruppert selected the uncinatum truffle, also known as the Champagne truffle, Burgundy truffle, for his field. It’s a safe bet, as it already grows wild in both Luxembourg and the wider region.
Crémant is one thing, but truffles are not a product the Grand Duchy is known for. However, the winds of change are blowing. Climate change is helping to boost local vendors, whose business model often is more responsive and environmentally-friendly than their multinational counterparts.
Traditional truffle areas like those in Italy have already been impacted by the climate crisis. This is due to the prolonged dry season. This means that truffle production has been slowly shifting to the north.
‘‘Humidity is essential for the truffles’’, says Ruppert. The determining factor in a good or poor truffle season is water. Truffles require water and irrigation is essential if it is not available.
A good year in truffles is often accompanied by a bad one for the vines. Wine and truffles – sometimes they are not a match made for love. Truffles only last for fourteen days, while fresh black truffles can be kept for up to 14 days. Like restaurateurs, discerning buyers want the best for their customers. Local suppliers can ensure freshness and reduce mileage.
Cultivated truffles are a stable investment that offers a high yield and long-term return on your investment. It’s a burgeoning market and one that Ruppert, as an early adopter of the practice, is poised to take advantage of. And it is not only economic benefits that truffle ‘farming’ brings: ecological advantages can be gained too.
The preservation of wild truffles is made easier by cultivated truffles. This has led to a commercial success. Research into the ecology and physiology of truffle fungi They are essential for the ecosystem’s health and survival.
Rich Rewards
Ruppert, who has always been open to new opportunities, has already begun to cultivate a second area. Tuber melanosporum – known more widely as Périgord, French or black truffle. It is one of most expensive edible fungi.
Will he add the Tuber magnatumI wonder if white truffle is in his portfolio. “’No’’, he tells me. ‘‘White truffles are difficult, if not impossible to cultivate.” These are some of the findings Current research This suggests that things could be changing, so who knows what tomorrow holds.
Ruppert claims that his truffles are a hobby. It is a sideline to his successful vineyard and personal passion. However, cultivating truffles can be a costly and long-term gamble. Ruppert and his families seem to find it worth the risk.
Want more?
Tasting tours in Ruppert’s truffle fields are available starting in autumnOnly by reservation
Learn more a unique project in MompachFor the preservation and enhancement of the landscape, it is possible to grow truffles.
Learn more about fungi and start your summer reading.
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