This year, Benchmark Wine Group is partnering with La Toque Napa Valley for their 39th Annual Black Truffle Fest! Follow along as our Featured Master Sommelier on The Somm Set, Chris Blanchard, works with Chef Ken Frank of La Toque on exclusive wine and truffle pairings for this years menu. Learn more below!
About La Toque's Annual All Black Truffle Fest
La Toque has long been known for their extravagant All Black Truffle Menus. Every January they feature a special menu with fresh black truffles in every course. January 2021 will mark the 39th year with this special menu.
For the past few years, they have been fortunate to enjoy a second “Winter” Truffle season with fresh Australian Black Truffles in June, July, and August. They are every bit as good as the finest European Truffles. The availability of Winter Truffles during our Summer season is particularly exciting as it allows them to cook them with a completely different set of ingredients. La Toque is eagerly awaiting their arrival in early June.
La Toque only use truffles from sources they know well and have used for years. They feature three species of fresh Truffles; Tuber magnatum pico, the true white truffle, Tuber melanosporum, the true winter black truffle and occasionally Tuber uncinatum, often referred to as the Summer or Burgundy truffle. Other species just don’t compare, and they’re not worth the money. They do not use truffles native to China or Oregon, although they look forward to the success of American truffle plantations in the next few years. The truffles from the Himalayas are technically truffles, but their flavor pales in comparison to the real thing. Sadly, many people don’t know the difference and are either easily fooled, or worse, mix them in with real truffles to cut costs.
Chef Ken Frank of La Toque
"Though I have had a great career cooking for over 40 years, not many realize that my secret Alter Ego is a Sommelier. This year marks my 39th Annual All Black Truffle menu and while we can’t celebrate truffle in person as usual due to Covid, we are undeterred! We have put together an “over the top, truffle till you drop” eight course All Truffle Tasting menu to offer as a “meal kit” beginning January 13th. If you are ambitious in the kitchen and ready for a delicious adventure, this should scratch the itch. If you’re not up for the whole tasting menu, you can order our decadent black truffle sandwich with a full ounce of fresh black truffle to toast at home for a quick truffle fix.
Wine pairing has always been central to the experience at La Toque, but “tasting pours” in little jars or pouches just isn’t the same. So we’re delighted to collaborate with Benchmark to recommend wines I love to drink with these dishes. We buy wines for our Wine Spectator Grand Award winning cellar from many sources, from big distributors or winery direct, to private cellars. One of our go to sources for older, well cellared and well curated selections, particularly for wines from the Langhe and Burgundy has long been Benchmark. Many of the wines we’ve picked out to pair with this menu aren’t easy to find, and some of them represent terrific values. All of them make me thirsty."
Showing 16 wines from 12 producers
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