Wine for Truffles and Mushrooms: Pairing Guide

Pairing wine and truffle depends on the type of truffle (black or white) and on how the dish is prepared. Truffles share with mushrooms an earthy, forest-floor note, yet stand out for a far more intense, complex, and persistent aromatic profile.

There is no single “right” wine: the key is to choose a wine with sufficient structure and suppleness to accompany the recipe, without the tannin being so aggressive that it overwhelms the truffle’s unmistakable aromatic component.

Black truffle risotto, creamed

Black truffle has a spicy, earthy profile that, combined with the butter-and-Parmesan creaming, calls for wines with good substance and a well-integrated tannic texture. Young or overly green tannins risk drying the palate and overpowering the dish.

Nebbiolo-based wines

Barbaresco (Piedmont): One of the top choices. The combination of freshness, elegant tannins, and earthy aromas naturally plays with black truffle.
Langhe Nebbiolo (Piedmont): An excellent alternative for more delicately creamed risottos, offering freshness and structure without excess.
Gattinara or Ghemme (Alto Piemonte): Expressions of Nebbiolo from volcanic, mineral soils—sharper and spicier—perfect for balancing the risotto’s creaminess.

Pinot Noir-based wines

Burgundy Village Red (e.g., Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée - France): Burgundy Pinot Noir with a few years of ageing develops classic notes of leather, forest floor, and spice that marry perfectly with Périgord or summer black truffle.
Pinot Noir from Alto Adige or Oltrepò Pavese: Ideal Italian options for those seeking ripe red fruit, silky tannins, and an elegance that never overwhelms.

Beef tagliata with shavings of fresh black truffle

In this preparation, the wine must contend with two important elements: the fiber and fattiness of red meat, together with the aromatic persistence of fresh truffle. A deep red with great structure and complexity is needed.

Nebbiolo-based wines

Barolo (Piedmont): The quintessential noble pairing. Nebbiolo’s powerful structure supports the meat, while its mature notes (dried rose, tar, spice) accompany the truffle’s persistence.
Valtellina Superiore or Sforzato di Valtellina (Lombardy): From mountain Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca): they offer good alcohol and structure but with great Alpine elegance and spicy notes ideal for meat with truffle.

Pinot Noir-based wines

Burgundy Premier Cru / Grand Cru (e.g., Nuits-Saint-Georges, Morey-Saint-Denis - France): The more complex, structured Piedmontese or French Pinot Noirs have the body required for red meat, while maintaining a refined tannic weave that respects the truffle’s aroma.

Simple first courses with white truffle

White truffle should never be cooked but shaved raw over hot dishes with delicate seasoning (such as buttered tagliolini or fried eggs). It requires highly refined wines with almost imperceptible tannin.

Nebbiolo- and Pinot Noir-based wines

Nebbiolo d'Alba or Roero Rosso: Faster-maturing expressions of Nebbiolo, with soft tannins and floral perfumes.
Pinot Noir from Alsace or the Loire (France): Lighter, fresher and fruitier interpretations, perfect for fresh buttered pasta topped with white truffle.

What wine pairs with truffle?

Black truffle risotto, creamed

Nebbiolo-based wines

Pinot Noir-based wines

Beef tagliata with shavings of fresh black truffle

Nebbiolo-based wines

Pinot Noir-based wines

Simple first courses with white truffle

Nebbiolo- and Pinot Noir-based wines

Barolo DOCG del Comune di La Morra 2022 Agricola Brandini

Barolo DOCG R56 2021 Agricola Brandini

Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata DOCG 2022 Roberto Voerzio

Barolo Cerequio DOCG 2022 Roberto Voerzio

Barolo DOCG Riserva San Bernardo 2020 Palladino

Barolo DOCG 2022 Gianfranco Alessandria

Südtirol - Alto Adige DOC Pinot Nero Glen 2023 Castelfeder

Barolo DOCG Bussia 2022 Costa di Bussia

Volnay AOC 1er Cru Clos des Angles 2018 Olivier Leflaive

Barbaresco DOCG Riserva Camp Gros Martinenga 2017 Marchesi di Gresy

Barolo DOCG PerArmando 2022 Parusso

Gattinara DOCG 2020 Torraccia del Piantavigna

Barolo DOCG Conteisa 2021 Gaja

Rosso di Valtellina DOC Nettare 2023 Tenuta Scerscé

Gattinara DOCG 2022 Nervi Conterno

Valle d'Aosta DOC Pinot Nero 2025 Les Crêtes

Gevrey-Chambertin AOC Premier Cru 2022 Domaine Jacques Prieur

Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2023 Josetta Saffirio

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