At the black diamond pursuit

Skim through the «Drôme Tourisme»  website, you will find numerous proposals to take part in a truffle week-end. The Ardèche does not want to be outdone and takes profit of its immediate neighbouring to take its visitors to truffle markets, to meet truffle-growers and then invites them to a taste-session around an obviously sumptuous menu. We have selected three of them in quite different styles.

The «Mas Bella Cortis» in the «Val des Nymphes» is one of the numerous guest houses that proposes truffle week-ends. Anne and Alexandre Buffard carry their customers along with them into a tremendous trip which starts on Friday evening with a truffle menu. For example : A truffle aperitif, «Brouillade aux Truffes» (truffles and eggs), «ravioles aux truffes» (truffles raviolis), «dos de cabillaud et purée de pommes de terre truffée» (fresh cod and mashed potatoes garnished with truffles), "filet mignon rôti au Porto et cardons truffés" (roasted pork exquisite filet cooked in "Porto" with cardoons and truffles), truffle «Picodon» cheese, melted truffle «Brie» cheese cooked in the chimney embers, truffle ice-cream, truffle "crème brûlée", truffle chocolate and marriage of the "Tricastin" wines with the truffles.

On Saturday morning, meeting on the "Richerenches" market (If it is the main thing people are talking about it is because it is the first market in France for the "Tricastin" black truffle). In the afternoon, truffles extraction in the truffle orchards with the dog that lends its keen nose trained to explore the soil in order to rise up the famous black diamond. A guided tour in «la Maison de la Truffe et du Tricastin» in «Saint Paul Trois Châteaux» is planned for the end of the afternoon before another truffle dinner. Departure the next day with all the tasted recipes gathered in a little book.

At «Domaine de Montine», You will discover  the red, white and «rosé» "Tricastin" wines as well as the property's «Côtes du Rhône Villages», but the hosts are also truffle growers, who initiate their customers to this so particular art that is "cavage" (truffle extraction with the help of a dog). The truffle gastronomy can be discovered in the surrounding restaurants as the "Domaine" does not offer a guest table.

For ages, at «Château de Rochegude», -a 16^th and 17^th century magnificent building rebuilt around a 12^th century tower which overlooks the whole surrounding country as far as the eye can see- everybody has been conforming to the truffle worship with the same kind of habits, market, "cavage", and tasting-session but the place is really fabulous and the week-end absolutely exceptional .

To be noted as well, the truffle week-end in the "Hôtel Restaurant Chartron" in "Saint Donat". The particularity of the Chief truffle bed is to be located just in the heart of the «Drôme" hills, at the extreme North of the department. There is also a market in "Saint Donat".