Tạp chí Travel World tháng 01 và 02 /2010

10.1 JAN.FEB

the

Food
issueWine
Goin’ On
Truffle Hunts
IN ITALY
AND OREGON

Farm
to Fork
DINING IN YOSEMITE
RELAX IN GOURMET

Los Gatos
PLUS...

Adventures
On Ice
PATAGONIA
AND HARBIN

*

take a serious

taste

JOURNEY TO THE DAZZLING

REGION OF CHAMPAGNE

T H E M A G A Z I N E W R I T T E N B Y N O R T H A M E R I C A N T R AV E L J O U R N A L I S T S A S S O C I AT I O N M E M B E R S


the

Food
issueWine

TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB


10.1 JAN.FEB

FEATURES
8

CHAMPAGNE
A sparkling wine from a dazzling region
BY GARY LEE KRAUT

14 FARM TO FORK
California’s Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite is on the cutting edge of this
sustainable agricultural movement
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY INGRID HART

20 MIDNIGHT TRUFFLE HUNTERS
Sneaking around in the dead of night proves profitable when you’re in Alba
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACKQUELINE HARMON BUTLER

24 GOT TRUFFLES? OREGON DOES.
The West’s culinary gold rush...seeking nuggets of white and black fungi
BY MARCIE J. BUSHNELL

30 LOS GATOS: GEM OF THE FOOTHILLS
Where gourmet restaurants and vineyards are at your fingertips
BY NELL RAUN-LINDE

34 HARBIN ICE FESTIVAL
The Old Paris of the Orient transforms the ice into gold
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIEN GALLO

38 PATAGONIAN PANORAMAS
STORY BY PETER ROSE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER AND HEDY ROSE

COLUMNS
4

FROM THE PUBLISHER

6

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

7

BENEFITS OF BEING A NATJA MEMBER

42

SENIOR TRAVEL

Chicago Museums Exhibit an Ethnic Melting Pot /

46

SPORTS & SIGHTS

New South Cities Blossom Into Sports Meccas /

50

BY DAN SCHLOSSBERG

ARTS & ARCHITECTURE

Deep In The Heart of Texas /

54

BY VICTOR BLOCK

BY SUSAN JAQUES

GADGETS WE LIKE

Making Travel Just A Bit Easier

56

BOOK STORE

10.1 JAN.FEB / TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE


*

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Wood-Fired Baby Artichokes

& COTTON CANDY
I have to say that it takes a lot to impress my tastebuds, let
alone the tastebuds of more than a dozen travel writers. But there we were, sitting
all together at the Bistro Napa (located at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno,
Nevada) ooooh-ing and aaaa-ing at each appetizer, entree, and dessert placed in
front of us. “Bistro Napa offers the freshest, eclectic, organically inspired seasonal
menu with titillating entrées from Scallops Rockefeller to succulent filets, organic
salads, wood-fired pizzas, tantalizing side dishes and appetizers from calamari to
Kobe beef sliders to wood-fired baby artichokes,” according to Atlantis’ Ben McDonald. And titillating is an understatement.
WAIT... Did I say RENO? Indeed, I did.
The Atlantis was kind enough to host the quarterly NATJA Advisory Board meeting in January. And what a treat! We were entertained by the very charming Chef
Clay Slieff at the award-winning Bistro as he explained the mouth-watering desserts
they had just plopped before us. Plates of fresh fondue doughnuts, towering bowls of
cotton candy and their famous chocolate burger—a vegetarian dish with a chocolate
fudge brownie patty and sweet roll served with a shot of root beer float and mango
slices as fries. They practically needed a backhoe to roll us out of the restaurant and
back to our rooms (or casino).
The resort has recently undergone a $100 million expansion and the rooms in the

Concierge Tower are quite nice. Our view toward snow-covered Tahoe was breathtaking. But for me, even more noteworthy was the Spa. The 30,000-foot sanctuary
has rooms and treatments I’ve never heard of. They even have a skin treatment that
is offered in less than a dozen U.S. spas. My two favorite numbers were the herbal
steam room and the cool Brine Inhalation-Light Therapy Lounge with heated floors
and seating. Yep, a nap was not hard to accomplish on this little adventure.
First, I was feasting in a world-class
restaurant. Then I was lounging for hours
in a spa that I needed a compass to find my
way around in. I had to chuckle. I was in
RENO! What a world!

Jerri
Jerri Hemsworth
Publisher
E:
B: www.travelworldmagazine.com/blog/publisher

TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB

The Brine Inhalation-Light
Therapy Lounge at the
Atlantis Casino Resort
Spa in Reno.



*

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

8

Comments?
Questions?
Suggestions?
Drop us a line at
Travelworld
International
Magazine by emailing


14

20

Happy New Year! While many people may be working on resolutions
doomed to fail in three months or less, we here at Travelworld International Magazine refuse to take that approach. Our resolutions include exploring new destinations, trying novel experiences, and meeting new people. Hey, who says your
resolutions can’t match your life’s work?
So, we embrace the wonderful world of food in this issue. And because, I for one
can never get enough of truffles, there are two fantastic stories on them from two
very different perspectives (Jacqueline Harmon Butler, page 20 and Marcie J.
Bushnell, page 24). Don’t miss stories on the Champagne region (by Gary Lee
Kraut, page 8) and sustainable food in Yosemite National Park (Ingrid Hart, page
14), and other great pieces by some new NATJA voices and our columnists.
In NATJA news, the advisory board just returned from a visit and meeting in
Reno, Nevada, the location of this year’s annual conference in May. It was a pleasure to scout in advance all of the offerings the area holds in store for conference
attendees, from dining on the shores of gorgeous Lake Tahoe to relaxing in the
stunning spa of our host hotel, the Atlantis, to eating extremely well in a variety
of restaurants (with a little bit of gambling in the mix). Hope to see you there!
Happy and safe travels!

Kim
Kim Foley MacKinnon, Editor-in-Chief
E:
B: www.travelworldmagazine.com/blog/editor

EDITORIAL CALENDAR
Mar/Apr 2010 . . . . . . . . .IT’S A GREEN, GREEN WORLD
May/Jun 2010 . . . . . . . . .EXPLORE THE NATIONAL PARKS
Submission?

July /Aug 2010 . . . . . . . .ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Submit story and

Sept /Oct 2010 . . . . . . . .MUSIC/LITERARY LIGHTS

photography pitches

Nov /Dec 2010 . . . . . . . .WEIRD & OFFBEAT TRAVEL

to
Do not submit images
unless requested.

TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB

24

Visit for more details

The Benefits of Being a
NATJA Member

Travelworld International Magazine is the only
magazine that showcases the member talents of
the North American Travel Journalists Association
Group Publisher
Publisher
Editor-in-Chief
Art Direction/Production

Helen Hernandez
Jerri Hemsworth
Kim Foley MacKinnon
Newman Grace Inc.
www.newmangrace.com

Vice President, Marketing

Brian Hemsworth

Contributing Writers

Marcie J. Bushnell
Adrien Gallo
Jacqueline Harmon Butler
Ingrid Hart
Gary Lee Kraut

Nell Raun-Linde
Peter Rose

Contributing Columnists

Victor Block
Susan Jaques
Dan Schlossberg

Editorial/Advertising offices
Travelworld International Magazine
150 S. Arroyo Parkway, 2nd Floor
Pasadena, CA 91105
P: 626.376.9754
www.travelworldmagazine.com

Travelworld International Magazine is published bi-monthly by
Travel Professionals Inc.
150 S. Arroyo Parkway, 2nd Floor, Pasadena, CA 91105

Volume 2010.1 January/February. Copyright ©2010 by Travel Professionals Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in
part without written permission is prohibited. Advertising rates
and information sent upon request. Acceptance of advertising in
Travelworld International Magazine in no way constitutes approval or endorsement by Travel Professionals Inc. or NATJA of
products or services advertised. Travelworld International Magazine and Travel Professionals Inc. reserve the right to reject any
advertising. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and
not necessarily those of Travelworld International Magazine or
Travel Professionals Inc. Travelworld International Magazine reserves the right to edit all contributions for clarity and length, as
well as to reject any material submitted. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. This periodical’s name and logo along
with the various titles and headings therein, are trademarks of

Travel Professionals Inc. PRODUCED IN U.S.A.

I NATJA List Serve
Contact more than 400 professional NATJA journalists
and/or associates at one time through the NATJA List Serve.
I Resource Center
Review hundreds of travel publications. Includes editor’s
name and contact information. .
I Professional Development
Annual programs geared to enhancing the skills of our
working media and improve the effectiveness of our bureaus, organizations and other professionals.
I eWire Service
Send a query, story or press release to more than 250 major
US/Canadian publications electronically via email.
I Media Member Database—All Access
Enhance your professional networking capabilities. Search
our growing database of over 350 Media Members.
I CVB and Associate Database—All Access
Enhance your professional networking capabilities. Search
our constantly growing database of NATJA members that
include convention & visitors bureaus, hotels and resorts,
airlines, restaurants, food industry and growers associations,
wineries and wine associations, PR agencies, and marketing
and public relations professionals.
I Travelworld International Magazine
Members have access to publishing and advertising opportunities. Travelworld International Magazine features stories
and photos from our members.
I The Wayfarer
The NATJA official newsletter which includes industry news
and media relation contacts.

I Media Trips Information
Press trips, events and story ideas are distributed monthly
to members.
I Personal Web Site
NATJA Members can activate their own personal web page.
It’s free and it’s simple!
I NATJA News Connection (NNC)
Where active and associate members connect.
I NATJA Media ID
All members can receive a NATJA ID.
I Annual NATJA Conference & Marketplace
www.natja.org/conference

www.natja.org


C H A M P
A Sparkling
Wine from a
Dazzling
Region
BY GARY LEE KRAUT

No wine is more evocative than Champagne, the king of sparkling wines. Yet Champagne is
so readily associated with romance, celebration, name
brands, and high living that we tend to forget that beyond being wine it’s a region in northeast France.
Champagne is in fact an earthy product, and the best
way to get to know it is to visit the very earth, vineyards, and cellars where it’s produced, some 90 to 110
miles east of Paris. That’s close enough that you can
enjoy a glimpse and a taste of Champagne in a daytrip

from the French capital, though an overnight or twonight stay allows for more thorough explorations. Or
three nights if you’re on a mission, as I was in late September, when, as the last grapes were being brought
in from the harvest, four English journalists, a Canadian journalist, and I set out for a serious taste of
Champagne.
TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB


P A G N E

The Villedomange Vineyard in winter.
PHOTO: JOLYOT


Smiling angel on the
Notre-Dame de Reims
Cathedral.
PHOTO: C.MAURY

Our mission was to get a wellrounded view of all that goes into producing and enjoying Champagne
while keeping in mind the mantra
“drink the wine, not the label.” That’s a
wise approach with respect to any
wine, and nowhere more important
than Champagne. It’s an approach that
led us to visit towns and villages, vineyards, grapes, cellars, facilities, Champagne houses great and small, and
meet with the variety of individuals involved in the process. Along the way,
we discovered the variety of the wine
as well as of the region.
There is no one way to visit Champagne, but however you do it, whether
for one day or for three, you’ll soon

learn that three important facets of
TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB

production define the taste and quality
of the final product:
1. the quality of the grapes
2. the percentage in the final blend of
the three main grape varieties authorized in the production of Champagne:
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and
Chardonnay
3. the dosage of sugar and liqueur
that is added (or in rare cases not) to a
bottle after its second fermentation.
Here are various places in Champagne where you can learn those details and much more about Champagne,
both the wine and the region.
REIMS
The two main towns for Champagne
production in the region are Reims and

Epernay, located respectively north and
south of the Mountain of Reims, which
is the central grape-growing zone in
the region. Both Reims and Epernay
can rightfully stake a claim to being
the centerpiece of Champagne explorations since the major houses are
headquartered at one or the other.
For an overnight, you might include
both, but on a daytrip I’d opt for Reims
over Epernay for two reasons: Reims requires less planning due to the frequency of high-speed trains to and
from Paris (45 minutes each way) and

it offers a strong dose of historical
splendor with its bubbly.
The hit parade of Champagne houses
in Reims include G.H. Mumm,
Taitinger, Pommery, Piper-Heidsieck


Signs along the route to Champagne.

Grapes grown in Epernay.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

Lanson, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, and
others, so you’re at no loss for cellar
and production tours to choose from
during the day. (See the link to the
Reims Tourist Office below for further
touring information.) Meanwhile, the
history of Reims goes both deep and
high: deep in that some of the Champagne cellars originated as Roman
limestone quarries (a triumphal arch
from the 3rd century is the main remnant of Reims’s development as a
Roman city); high in that the city
rightfully boasts one of the greatest of
all Gothic cathedrals, Notre-Dame de
Reims, built largely in the 13th century,
and a magnificent basilica, Saint Remi
de Reims, that was started in the 11th
century. The smiling angel on the

cathedral (see photo) may have begun
as a religious symbol but is now often
seen as a wink to the pleasures of
drinking Champagne in Reims.
EPERNAY
Epernay and its surroundings live,
breath, and eat—well, drink—Champagne. There’s little in the way of historical distraction here, other than the
history of sparkling wine. Champagne
is Epernay’s raison d’etre. Its central
thoroughfare, Champagne Avenue, is
the Rodeo Drive of the big brand bubbly, including Moet & Chandon,
Mercier, Martel, De Castellane, Boizel,
Demoiselle, Pol Roger, De Venoge, and
Perrier-Jouet, many of which offer
tours year-round. (See the link to the

Epernay Tourist Office below for further touring information.)
The major Champagne houses in
Epernay and Reims offer tours that are
at once informative and promotional.
Yet I found during our three-day mission that trying Champagnes from various producers using different blends
was the best way to get to know the variety of sparkling wines in the region.
Epernay has an enjoyable concept
bar (and wine shop) called C Comme
where you can do just and with little
effort. The originality of the bar is that
you can order a series of small glasses
of Champagne selected to give a sense
of the different grape varieties or
blends available, i.e. 100 percent

Chardonnay (a.k.a. Blanc de Blancs) vs.
10.1 JAN.FEB / TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE


C H A M P A G N E
50 percent Chardonnay/50 percent
Pinot Noir vs. 40 percent Chardonnay/30 percent Pinot Noir/30 percent
Pinot Meunier. The Champagnes of
different producers will naturally have
a different taste even at similar percentages, partly due to the sugarliqueur dosage added, nevertheless,
tasting by blend rather than by brand
gives an excellent sense of the range
of possibilities.
HAUTVILLERS
Hautvillers is among the most charming Champagne-producing villages, as
well as one of the most historically significant. Located 4 miles from Epernay
and overlooking a wide sweep of vineyards along the slopes of the Mountain
of Reims, the village earns its place in
history because it was here, at the Benedictine Abbey of Hautvillers, that the
monk Dom Pierre Perignon (1639-1715)
worked as cellar master. Though vines
had been thriving in the Champagne
region since Roman times, mastering
the natural effervescence of local wines
and controlling the double fermentation that tends to take place in northern
climes began in the 17th century, thanks
in part due to curiosity and efforts of
Dom Perignon. Assembling wines from
different years and different kinds of
grapes, he and other cellar masters at

the time developed cork-popping
Champagne as we know it today. That
connection leads Hautvillers to call itself “the cradle of Champagne.”
Dom Perignon is well known as a
trademark for a high-end Champagne,
but we’re talking here about the wine,
not the label. Dom Perignon is entombed in the abbey church at
Hautvillers beside Dom Ruinart, another monk-cum-trademark.
With an annual production of about
300 million bottles, Champagne is natTRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB

urally big business dominated by the
dozen or so major Champagne houses,
themselves mostly belonging to large
luxury groups. Yet many of the Champagne vineyards themselves belong to
individual families, who either sell their
grapes to the large houses, produce
Champagne as a cooperative, or produce their own Champagne. Thus the
interest of visiting the small producers
whose sparking wine isn’t exported,
such as G. Tribaut in Hautvillers, where
a sunny day, a view over the vineyards,
and a varied tasting provided us with a
very cheery aperitif.
FURTHER AFIELD
Tourist offices in Epernay and Reims
provide outlines of Champagne Routes
in the surrounding areas. With sufficient time, your own Champagne mission will ideally lead you to examine
small, medium, and large producers in
various parts of the region, including

those further afield from the main
Champagne routes around the Mountain of Reims. As at home, drinking
and driving is a non-non.
Our own mission, which included a
designated driver, took us to Châlonsen-Champagne. While Reims has the
feel of a capital city, the regional capital is in fact the pleasant but less striking town of Châlons. There’s a
monstrous cathedral, an easy-going
riverboat tour, a touch of American
history (the American Unknown Soldier was selected at City Hall following WWI)… and a Champagne house.
Though removed from the current
growing zone for grapes that go into
Champagne, we made the detour to
Châlons to visit the medium-sized
Champagne house Joseph Perrier.
Founded in 1825, Joseph Perrier produces about 800,000 bottles per year,
many of which are kept in Roman

limestone quarries dug into the hill
above the head office. It’s an example
of a type of Champagne house that
you might visit by appointment.
We also headed to the southernmost vineyards in the region planted
in the south of the region whose
planting zone is called the Cotes-desBar. That’s where we visited Drappier,
another medium-size Champagne
house with an annual production of
about 1.6 million bottles.
After visiting the cellars, portions of
which were dug out by Cistercian
monks in 1152, we tried several of the

house’s Champagne including a 100
percent Pinot Noir “brut nature,” which
is dryer than most Champagnes in that
the sugar-liqueur that is typically added
in varying doses to sparking wines is
absent. I liked its dryness, though in our
group some found it too dry.
Throughout our stay, each one of us
discovered his or her individual preferences with respect to Champagne.
Some liked it sweet, some like it dry,
some liked it more Chardonnay or
more Pinot Noir, … some just liked
drinking. After three days, more than a
dozen brands, and sometimes several
types within those brands, some of the
mystery of Champagne may be gone,
but it’s for me it’s even more evocative,
as it calls to mind both a sparkling
wine and a brilliant travel experience.
USEFUL LINKS AND INFORMATION
April though October offers the possibility of the nicest weather for a visit
to Champagne but visiting at any time
of year allows you to learn about the
region’s sparkling wines and to get a
sense of its history and landscape.
Champagne-Ardenne Tourist Board
www.tourisme-champagneardenne.com


Tasting at

G. Tribaut in
Hautvillers.

The infamous NotreDame de Reims
Cathedral.
PHOTO: G. OXLEY

Though I’ve referred to the Champagne
region throughout this article, the administrative region is actually called
Champagne-Ardenne as it also comprises the area in and around the hills
and forests of the Ardennes along the
Belgian border.
Reims Tourist Office
www.reims-tourisme.com
Epernay Tourist Office
www.ot-epernay.fr

Hautvillers Tourist Office
www.hautvillers.fr
Châlons-en-Champagne Tourist Office
www.chalons-tourisme.com
C Comme (wine bar and shop in Epernay)
www.c-comme.fr. Open daily.
Champagne G. Tribaut (Champagne
house in Hautvillers)
www.champagne.g.tribaut.com
Champagne Joseph Perrier (Champagne
house in Châlons-en-Champagne)

www.joseph-perrier.com

Champagne Drappier (Champagne
house in Urville, Côte-des-Bars)
www.champagne-drappier.com
Gary Lee Kraut operates the online travel and
culture magazine France Revisited, www.
FranceRevisited.com, a premier site “for savvy
readers and experienced travelers.” He has
written five guides to Paris or France and
numerous articles, essays, and op-ed pieces.
10.1 JAN.FEB / TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE


farm
fork
TO

California’s Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite is on the
cutting edge of this sustainable agricultural movement
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY INGRID HART

Half Dome in Yosemite is the key
indicator that you’ve arrived at the
Ahwahnee Hotel.

TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB


The first meal I ever ate in
Yosemite National Park was lentil soup

cooked on a wood burning stove by my
college roommate Elida, a seasonal
employee in the summer of 1983. The
earthy, heart-warming concoction was
divine after a full-day’s hike near
Yosemite’s iconic Half-Dome. Yet we
still dreamed of a time when our cash
flow would allow us a full-course meal
at the historic and grand Ahwahnee
Hotel. Twenty-six years later, our

dream came true. We shared a rockstar meal with the Ahwahnee’s Executive Chef, Percy Whatley in the hotel’s
crown jewel dining hall, framed by
Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point.
Dining family style with a Hell’s Angels approach to etiquette, we feasted
on wild mushroom ravioli and truffle
cream; an anti-pasta platter rich with
artisan cured meats; free-range
chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes
and cranberry sauce; ocean-friendly

Halibut from Monterey Bay with Vancouver clams and local organic greens.
Hand-harvested scallops with porkbelly, which Chef Percy called umami
or the fifth taste following sweet, sour,
salt and bitter. For dessert we sampled
six kinds of sorbet, my favorite being
passion fruit. My college roommate
Elida grinned and said she always
dreamed of dining at the Ahwahnee
but claimed, “This dinner surpassed all

my expectations.”


farm
fork
TO

We were both delighted when Chef
Percy told us that almost all the fresh
produce comes from within a 150 mile
radius of Yosemite National Park in
the “Farm to Fork” movement.
“Sustainable agriculture is cornerstone to the slow food movement,”
said Chef Percy, a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America
and a 20-year cooking veteran of
Yosemite, the last four as executive
chef. “We live near the San Joaquin Valley, California’s breadbasket. We are
committed to local resources for organic produce, free-range chickens, and
grains. In Yosemite, it’s easier to think
about the environment. We are on the
cutting edge of this movement.”
Chef Percy, a soft-spoken and sincere
gentleman credits Yosemite’s Greenpath, an environmental stewardship
program, for the authority to launch
the movement. Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts (DNC),
Yosemite’s contracted concessioner,
agreed to his suggestion of partnering
with sustainable agricultural vendors,
telling him to “keep your costs down—
organic is expensive.” Since 1999, Chef

Percy’s been taking a humble approach,
quietly purchasing local products from
at least 40 vendors citing his personal
passion for allowing the high quality of
the food to speak for itself. “Every time I
shake hands with the little guy, I develop a working friendship. There’s always a good exchange between a
farmer and a chef. I like to see the emotion behind the farmer. It makes me
feel good, plus our customers’ benefits.”
After the inspirational meal, Elida
and I took the shuttle bus back to

Yosemite Falls is the 5th tallest
waterfall in the world.
SOURCE: WWW.YOSEMITE.CA.US

Executive Chef
Percy Whatley.

Rows of vegetables at the Madera
farm in the San Joaquin Valley.

The upper falls, the middle
cascades and lower falls at
Yosemite National Park are
the same height as the
Sears Tower PLUS the Eiffel
Tower put together.

TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB

SOURCE: WWW.YOSEMITE.CA.US


Curry Village where we were slumming it in the cabins. At nearly $500
for a night’s stay at the Ahwahnee
Hotel, it is still too rich for our
budget—I guess some things never
change. Still, our home in the forest
among the cedar and pine trees was
surrounded by 3,000-foot granite cliffs

that kept us giddy and happy. We reclined on our backs outside our cabin’s
deck, and looked up at the plentiful
stars. “This feels umami,” my college
friend sighed, content. I agreed, a slice
of heaven—sweet.

writer living in Sacramento, California. She
holds a degree in Journalism from Humboldt
State University, California. Her credits include Baja Traveler, Mexico Traveler, Pology,
Cal-List, Surfer, High Times, Holistic Happenings, Sacramento Business Journal, divine-

g On?
rowin
hat’s G
W
I

n the world of Farm to Fork I know
the fork well, but the farm, not so

much. To school myself, I visit the
Ahwahnee’s prime purveyor of produce, a 75-acre certified organic, familyowned farm called T & D Willey Farms.
Fresh. Local. Organic. That’s the motto
of this Madera farm placed in California’s breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley. Watered by snow melt streams
from the Sierra Nevada, the rich alluvial
soils of this region make up the most
productive farmscape on earth.
I’m sitting in the passenger’s seat of
Tom Willey’s electric cart as we drive
the 75 acres of his and wife Denesse’s
Madera farm. We motor past rows of
French Breakfast radishes, Rosa Bianca
eggplants, Russian kale and more than
50 varieties of crops—all organic, a Garden of Eden. At this farm, there is no
mechanized harvest. In fact, the yellow
crookneck squash are picked with
white cotton gloves to protect the vegetable’s sensitive skin. Talk about a
labor of love.
The life force on this productive farm
is strong, radiating health and vitality.
In large part because of the Willey’s
commitment to old-fashioned farming,
“We do not use any toxic pesticides,”
said Tom pointing to a stand of sunflowers—a habitat strip that attracts
beneficial insects for pest control. “We

daytripper. com, and modcom.com

Ingrid Hart, the Divine Daytripper, is a

focus on plant nutrient and
soil quality. That’s the best possible
protection.”
I ask Tom, a knowledgeable veteran
of the slow food movement, what Farm
to Fork means to
him. “It’s about
paying more attention to the
path by which
food reaches your
plate and then
tracing it back to
the farm from
which it originates.” His farm
is a longtime purveyor to Alice Waters’ famed Chez
Panisse restaurant in Berkeley
and San Francisco’s Slanted
Door. “We all need to take more responsibility and be more conscious
about how we grow our food,” said
Tom. “Spend your dollar on the kind of
food that you want, don’t spend your
dollar on food that you feel guilty
about afterward. Too many of us do it
too often.”
T & D Willey Farms began working
with Yosemite about six years ago. Tom
told me their friend Brenda, a freerange chicken and egg farmer in the
local Mariposa area brought attention

to their farm. “DNC was trying to

‘green up’ their business and a branch
of that was supplying their facilities
with local food growers. Procurement
agents from DNC came and visited the
farm, hooked us up with a local trucker

that delivers to the Yosemite Valley
several times a week and we began delivering produce. Our products are at
the Ahwahnee Hotel, Wawona Hotel,
Yosemite Lodge and all the way up to
Tuolumne Meadows at high camp.
We’re very proud of our connection.”
Do Tom and Denesse ever dine at the
Ahwahnee? He chuckles a happy laugh
and said, “Whenever we have visitors
coming from afar and we want to impress them we take them to Chef Percy
or Chef Mike at the Ahwahnee. We let
10.1 JAN.FEB / TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE


farm
fork
TO

them know we’re coming and they do
something a little special. We see our
name on the menu. It’s a great buzz.
We like to go up there once or twice a
year and stay overnight and have a
couple of good meals. How could you

not like that?”
Back on the farm, the Willey’s send
me home with a box of fruits and vegetables similar to what their Community Supported Agriculture cooperative
customers receive—which is 15 percent
of their business. “I can’t just show you
this produce, you have to taste it,” said
Tom, loading the box into my car trunk.
Inside the box are apples, cucumbers,
broccoli, lettuce, squash, basil, and a
six-pack of farm-fresh eggs. I’m thrilled
to see my favorite—red grapes. I pop a
firm one into my mouth and marvel at
the flavor—complex yet simple. It must
be that rich alluvial soil. They taste
earthy, fresh and make me zing all over.
The rest of the grapes sit on my lap for
the journey back to Sacramento.

IN DEFENSE OF FOOD
It’s not possible to discuss Farm to Fork
without bringing up wildly successful
food guru Michael Pollan, best-selling
author of Omnivore’s Dilemma and In
Defense of Food. Pollan and Willey
know one another, there is a footnote
in Omnivore’s Dilemma that features
his name—although according to Tom
Willey, it’s misspelled.
At UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall,
along with a near-capacity crowd of

1,800, I sat listening to Pollan, a Cal
journalism professor, give a Farm to
Fork talk. We’re all trying to get a grip
TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB

Farmer Tom Willey.

Food guru Michael Pollan.

on the best way to approach the pleasure of eating. The six-foot Pollan looked
Berkeley-cool with his sports coat and
black-frame glasses. Pollan claims
we’ve undergone 150 years of diet
change and it has taken a tremendous
toll on our health. “We’re no longer
growing food.” said Pollan,“We’re
growing food for manufacturing.”

sion. Don’t get your fuel at the same
place your car does. Avoid foods that
never rot—like Twinkies.”
Farm to Fork, what exactly does it
mean? I suppose it boils down to what
Tom Willey told me as I departed the
San Joaquin Valley. “If we think of ourselves as a biological organism we only
have two purposes: one is survival and
the other is reproduction. Going about
surviving and reproducing every day
there is nothing more important than
what you put in your body.” It remains

both an omnivore’s dilemma and solution. Michael Pollan sums it up in seven
words: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly
plants.” I

WHAT’S AN OMNIVORE TO DO?
How do we escape the Western diet
without leaving civilization? Pollan offered a few rules to help guide the omnivore’s dilemma: “If it has more than
five ingredients, don’t eat it. Avoid any
foods you’ve seen advertised on televi-



midnigh

TRU
hu

TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB


ht

UFFLE
unters
Sneaking around in the dead of night proves
profitable when you’re in Alba
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACQUELINE HARMON BUTLER

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Somewhere in the distance a church
bell chimed the midnight hour. A heavy mist
made visibility along the valley road challenging.
Nearing our rendezvous site we spotted two
small nondescript Italian cars hovering by the
side of the road. The drivers flashed their lights at
our mini-bus, then with a squeal of tires, sped off
along the twisting country road. Our driver, not
intimidated by their speed, followed closely behind as we bumped our way into the hills near
Alba in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.
We were in search of the legendary White Diamonds, tartufo bianco, or white truffles. At a market price of nearly $2,000 a pound, truffle hunters
are willing to go to amazing extremes in secrecy
as to where these incredible tubers are located.
Making a sharp right turn, the drivers lowered

their headlights as we left the main road and followed a small dirt track further into the hills at a
much slower speed. The moon shimmered through
the mist illuminating the scene with a ghostly glow.
Abruptly the two little cars swerved into a wide
space beside the road and turned off their engines. We had arrived. Our trifulaus (truffle
hunters) emerged. The two men of indeterminable age were dressed in rough outdoor
clothes and carried long pointed walking sticks.
They introduced themselves, Stefano Grosso and
Mario Aprile, in whispers and cautioned us to remain quiet and calm during our expedition. Then,
cautiously looking around, they released their
prized truffle hounds, the rather ordinary looking
Toby and Dora. Neither dog appeared to have a
distinct lineage.
10.1 JAN.FEB / TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE

midnight

high point was when we
actually go to taste some
of them shaved on fresh
fried eggs. The taste was
incomparable and delicious. We also made arrangements to
actually go on a truffle hunt later that
night.
The aphrodisiac properties of truffles were well known as far back as
the Roman times. Apicius exalts the
amazing effects of truffles in his famous discourse on cooking, De re Coquinaria, and lists six different ways
of using them. When the Roman Empire fell, the magical properties of truffles were forgotten and it wasn’t until
the French started raving about their
miraculous qualities in the 17th century that truffles once again became
popular. In his Physiologie du goût,
Brillat Savarin dedicates six pages to
the truffles exotic possibilities. Black
truffles are found in many places but
the most valuable ones come from the
Perigord region of France and around
Norcia in Italy. However, the king of
truffles is the white one found in the
Piedmont region of Italy and the best
known and prized are often referred to
as the White Diamonds of Alba.
The main difference between the
black and white truffles is not the color
but the smell and taste. The black truffle

has a pleasing wet leaf earthy smell and
is usually added during the cooking procedure of a dish. The white one has a
more enigmatic smell, mixed with notes
of fermented honey, hay, garlic, spices,
wet earth and ammonia, and is usually
finely shaved on cooked or raw foods.
Consequently, the taste of the white
truffle is more complex and, to some,
more desirable than the black ones.
Choosing a truffle is an important
process. Examine it closely, squeezing
it gently. The best truffles are light in
color, fairly smooth and hard, never
soft or sticky. To store, wrap in a paper
towel and place into closed, tight jar

TRUFFLE
hunters

Stefanino told us that truffle dogs
are usually a cross mix, with no distinct genetic background. However,
the pups of a successfully trained truffle dog command a high price. Truffle
hunting training begins when the
pups are about six months old and
continues until the dog reaches maturity at two years. These dogs are not
household pets.
They are trained professionals and
treated with great care and respect.
I was a little disappointed to find out
pigs are no longer used for truffle

hunting. Mario explained that it was
far easier to train a dog than a pig. He
pointed out that it was sometimes
very difficult to wrestle a tuber away
from a 300-pound truffle gorging pig.
A dog is willing to sniff out the truffles
then sit quietly wagging its tail waiting for a doggie treat as reward.
Stefanino gave a low whistle and
scampered into the bushes after Toby,
closely followed by Mario and Dora.
My little group of friends stumbled up
the embankment in hot pursuit. Our
assorted flashlights dimly illuminated
the landscape of trees, bushes, boulders, broken branches and a variety of
holes in the ground made by digging
or borrowing animals and by Mother
Nature herself. I immediately stepped
into a rather large hole, and promptly
fell over. Fortunately I didn’t get hurt.
Gee, I thought dusting myself off, this
truffle hunting isn’t a simple stroll in
the woods after all.
My friends and I were in Alba for the
famous Fiera del Tartufo Bianco, truffle
fair. We spent the day wandering the
aisles of the fair and learning all we
could about these pricey little tubers.
We examined, poked, squeezed and
sniffed a great variety of truffles. The
TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB

and refrigerate. Change paper towel
every day and use truffle within ten
days of harvesting. The common suggestion of storing truffles in rice is not
a good one. Truffles are almost 82 percent water and the rice will drain the
moisture from it.
Truffles are often found under the
same trees, usually willow, year after
year, and are harvested between late
September through November. That’s
why all the secrecy. No one wants anyone else to know exactly which tree
produces the best tubers.
To fortify ourselves for our truffle
hunting adventure, we had eaten a
wonderful dinner and enjoyed the
local wines at the Ristorante Brezza in
nearby Barolo. We feasted on Albastyle raw veal topped with olive oil and
sprinkled all over with fresh truffle
shavings. This was followed by a flaky
vegetable and cheese tart, then by
great bowls of fresh house-made Agnolotti with a rich meat sauce. The secondo piatti was fragrant oven-roasted
guinea fowl basted with Barolo wine
and stuffed with local herb infused
rice. A delicious selection of Chardonnay, Barbera and Barolo wines accompanied each dish. Nougat mousse or
glazed pears with zabaglione were our
dessert offerings. By the time we
poured out the last drops of the incredible Barolo wine, I have to admit my
friends and I were feeling very well fed
and perhaps a tad sloshed.
We trudged on into the dark night,

following the now distant sounds of
Stefanino and Mario and the hounds.
Someone let out a loud yelp of pain as
she hit her head on a low branch.
Someone else cautioned her to keep
quiet or she would scare away all the
truffles, which dissolved the group
into giggles. Try as we may we
couldn’t keep quiet and soon we were
howling with laughter.
Obviously we had scared someone
away because we heard disgruntled


This truffle seller proudly

The White Diamonds of Alba.

displays the delicacy.

Specially trained
truffle-hunting
dogs are used
instead of pigs
because they are
easier train and
reward.

mutterings and rustling in the nearby
bushes, the slam of a car door and

then the screech of tires as someone
sped off into the night.
By the time we caught up to our trifulaus, the dogs had begun excitedly
digging into the rough earth. Stefanino poked the ground with his
walking stick and right before our
very eyes pulled up a small but nicely
shaped white truffle.
Because it had been a very dry year,
the truffle crop was expected to be
minimal, thus driving up the price.

Passing the nugget around, Stefanino
estimated its cost to be somewhere
around $350.
Under a nearby tree, Dora was frantically digging, tail wagging and making
soft growls. Mario knelt down and gently patted the dog and commanded her
to sit, then he reached down and
pulled a beautiful white truffle from
the hole Dora had dug. The men
thought it was worth about $200.
Later, sitting in the wine cellar of our
hotel, my friends and I opened another bottle of Barolo and discussed

the day’s events. We all agreed that
being a trifulau might be kind of fun.
All that bustling about in secretive
darkness trying to remember exactly
where one found truffles last year, the
excitement of the chase after a hound
on the scent and the ultimate reward

of actually finding a pricey little rootlet all had a certain appeal.
Accompished travel writer Jacqueline Harmon Butler has received numerous awards
for her writing. She can be reached at
www.jacquelineharmonbutler.com.
10.1 JAN.FEB / TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE


GOT
TRUFFLES?
The West’s culinary gold rush...
seeking nuggets of
white and black fungi

OREGON

DOES
BY MARCIE J. BUSHNELL

“Presently, we were aware of an odour gradually coming towards us, something musky,
fiery, savoury, mysterious—a hot drowsy smell, that lulls the senses, and yet enflames
them—the truffles were coming.”
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)

There’s something oddly humorous about
staking out flying squirrels in the lower elevations of the
Oregon Coast Range. But, if you’re a serious mycology fan,
it’s no laughing matter.
The flying squirrels, Glaucomys sabrinus, are on a “must
have” mission. These little nocturnal rodents are in need
of Vitamin D after the dank, dark months of a cooler than

usual Pacific Northwest winter. And their little noses are
twitching.
I’m attending the last event of the four-day Oregon TrufTRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 10.1 JAN.FEB

fle Festival (OTF) held at the Valley River Inn, Eugene, Oregon at the end of January [2009]. Dr. James Trappe (pronounced Trap-ee), one of three co-authors of Trees, Truffles
and Beasts: How Forests Function, is talking truffles and the
squirrels that love them. Dr.Trappe, Jim to his colleagues,
sporting a salt-and-pepper beard and informally dressed
in a plaid wool shirt and khakis, is a guy who knows fungi.
His research interests include the taxonomy of hypogeous
fungi, floristics of alpine fungi, mycorrhizal ecology and
applications, and last, but not least, fungal-animal interac-


Chefs display their culinary adaptability of
Oregon truffles at the Grand Truffle Dinner.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN VALLS