XXIV Alba White Truffle World Auction^®, more than 480,000 euro raised for charity.

THE FINAL LOT OF THE CHARITY EVENT PROMOTED BY ENOTECA REGIONALE PIEMONTESE CAVOUR FLIES TO HONG KONG FOR 130,000 EURO

According to “plan” –given the high attendance rate among celebrities from the movie and television world –, the 24th edition of the Alba White Truffle World Auction®, the great charity event organised by the Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour, took place on Sunday afternoon, 12th November, at the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, a Unesco specific site and heart of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato wine-growing landscapes.

Bidding for the most valuable lots of Alba White Truffle – which are put up for auction along with large formats of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG and the wines of the producers of the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, and also with some giant Panettoni cakes “made in Piedmont” signed by Albertengo, the historic company producing festive pastries -, philanthropists joined the manor house that once belonged to Count Camillo live from Hong Kong, Singapore and Vienna, now consolidated partners of the Auction, which this year saw the prestigious debut of Frankfurt.

Therefore, this year, the great charity event – organized by the Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour, thanks to the precious support of Regione Piemonte, Enit-Italian National Tourism Agency, Ente Turismo Langhe Monferrato Roero, the International Alba White Truffle Fair, the Centro Nazionale Studi Tartufo and the Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini di Alba – reached the impressive amount of 482,760 euros raised, all of which will be donated to charity projects around the world.

CHARITY FIGURES

The star of the day was the final lot of twin 1,004-gram trifole – presented by Mario Aprile, president of the Unione delle Associazioni Trifulau Piemontesi, accompanied by his dog Lady – which flew to Hong Kong for the remarkable sum of 1.1 million Hong Kong dollars, equal to 130,000 euros:  the lot was won by a generous local businessman joining live from the highly renowned Mandarin restaurant. In the Grinzane Castle hall he gavel fell for three other splendid specimens of Alba White Truffle, weighing  250, 315 and 480 grams each, which were won by  Lucio Sindaco, creator of the ristorante Michelasso in Naples and regional vice-president of Confcommercio Campania, by Mariano Costamagna, a businessman from Cherasco, and by Guido Borghi, a businessman from Varese.

Also noteworthy, as part of the event promoted by the Fondazione CRC Donare, represented by Ezio Raviola, president of the Fondazione CRC, was the bid for the last lot of the “Barolo en Primeur” Auction, nebbiolo barrique number twelve, from which about 300 bottles of fine Barolo DOCG will be made in 2026, which was won in Hong Kong for the sum of 66,000 euros, bringing the total raised to 877,000 euros..

CHARITY

Since 1999, the fundraising total has thus exceeded 6.8 million euro (6,826,660€ to be precise) destined to charity projects in Italy and worldwide. This year the Italian charities that will benefit from the generosity of philanthropists are the Fondazione Ospedale Alba-Bra Onlus, the Fondazione Vialli e Mauro per la Ricerca e lo Sport Onlus, as well as the Ukrainian people thanks to the Comitato Razom and the project Every Child Is My Child Onlus. Whereas abroad, in Hong Kong the funds raised will go to the Mother’s Choice Institute, while Singapore has chosen the Singapore Children’s Society foundation, a charity helping children and young people in need across the Asian peninsula; always on the charity front, the project chosen in Vienna is Glückskind, an initiative promoted by Sinnbildungsstiftung, a charity active in supporting education and aiming to enhance the skills of students and their self-esteem throughout the school system; while in Frankfurt the spotlight will be on the German Youth Cup, a competition between young athletes from the regional federations of the German Paralympic Sports Association.

THE CELEBRITIES

In keeping with a successful tradition, the Auction held in Grinzane Cavour – enriched, thanks to the collaboration with Alba Music Festival, by a few pieces by Antonio Vivaldi performed by the quartet Elisa Scudeller, violin soloist, and the Soloists of the Classical Orchestra of Alessandria – will be hosted by TV presenter Caterina Balivo and by journalist and gastronomic curator Paolo Vizzari, alongside the contributions by comedian and TV host Enzo Iacchetti.

Attending the event, along with Roberto Bodrito, president of the Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour, Fabio Carosso, vice-president of the Piedmont Region, Carlo Bo, mayor of the Municipality of Alba, were some prestigious guests including the actress Anna Foglietta, the model and actress Vittoria Belvedere, the actor and director Andrea Bosca and his American colleague Daniel McVicar, historic face of the soap opera Beautiful, joined by many other guests such as the businessman Tomaso Trussardi, as well as important personalities tied to the world of sports and charity such as Clara Mondonico, daughter of the unforgettable Emiliano, coach of Turin, Atalanta and Fiorentina, and Andrea Tacconi, son of Stefano, goalkeeper of Juventus and the Italian national team. A justified absent, because recently called up by the national team, was Alessandro Buongiorno, the “Granata” captain, who would have liked to be present to pay tribute to the coach who wrote one of the most important pages of Torino Football Club.

Among the day’s surprises was the take-off of Gabriele Fabbro’s movie, Trifole, with South African actress Ydalie Turk – starring alongside Umberto Orsini and Margherita Buy – among the Bridesmaids of the Borghi, accompanying Valentina Nastasi, the so-called Bela Trifolera dei Borghi.

LIVE STREAMING VENUES

In Hong Kong the Auction was hosted by the famous Mandarin restaurant thanks to the Piedmontese entrepreneur Matteo Morello, founder of the ristorante Castellana. Here, an unforgettable culinary experience was offered thanks to the four-chef team formed by Romeo Morelli (Castellana), Fabiano Palombini (Perla), Robin Zavou and Matthew Reuther (The Mandarin Oriental) – in the presence of Mariano Rabino, president of the Ente Turismo Langhe Monferrato Roero, of Matteo Ascheri, president of the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, Langhe e Dogliani, and of Carmelo Ficarra, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong – in front of an enthusiastic and participating audience, in collaboration with Maria Pranzo and her Areté Food and Wine.

In Singapore, which was joining live for the sixth consecutive year, the Auction was held in the National Gallery at the Art Restaurant led by star chef Daniele Sperindio,attended by Gianfranco Garau, Mayor of the Municipality of Grinzane Cavour, by Alberto Cirio,  President of the Piedmont Region, and in the presence of Dante Brandi, Italian Ambassador inSingapore.

Joining live from Austria, for the second consecutive year, in the presence of Stefano Beltrame, Ambassador of Italy in Vienna, was Chef Denis Koenig‘s restaurant Le Salzgries Paris, who hosted in his kitchen Chef Luciano Tona, Ambassador of Alba – UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy, Emanuele Bolla, Councillor for Tourism of the City of Alba, together with Sergio Nodone, Master of the Viennese delegation of the Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini di Alba

This edition’s new entry is the city of Frankfurt, Germany, in the presence of Massimo Darchini, Consul General in Frankfurt, Mauro Carbone, Director of the Centro Nazionale Studi Tartufo, and Mario Fugaro, Municipal Councillor of the City of Alba: all hosted by Chef Leo Caporale, at the helm of Ristorante Brighella.

Finally, a historic debut for Africa, with Kenya: journalist Marcello Pasquero opened a window on the hospital in North Kinangpop and told of the work of volunteers and Alba urologist Bruno Frea, who work at the only hospital in the area, providing an essential service to the local population of around 350,000 inhabitants: their aim is to build three new operating theatres.

STATEMENTS

Roberto Bodrito, president of Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour: “Also this year we are renewing the successful tradition of the Alba White Truffle World Auction, which confirms itself as an event of great interest, capable of combining the promotion of the Langhe and Roero territory with charity, counting on a parterre of great prestige, which contributes to the final result. Year after year, together with the mayors of the City of Alba, Carlo Bo, and the Municipality of Grinzane Cavour, Gianfranco Garau, we are happy to support new charity projects, keeping our traditions, but always with an eye on the future”.

Matteo Ascheri, president of the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani: “Truffles and wine are a perfect pair: a product of the earth and a fruit of man’s labour, complementary in their role as flagships for the promotion of the territory, enhancing the traditional cuisine of Piedmont. Barolo and Barbaresco, together with the Tuber magnatum Pico, are very well known in Hong Kong, where we were enthusiastically received by a qualified audience that gives great satisfaction to this charity event every year”.

Fabio Carosso, vice-president of Regione Piemonte: “We are delighted and proud to be part of this event, which represents one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the autumn in Piedmont, through which we can consolidate international ties with those who are in love with our land and our Unesco hills. My wish is that the whole world will look with growing interest at initiatives like this, thanks to which charity can help bring a smile back to the faces of people experiencing great hardship, as current events unfortunately remind us every day”.