By Karla Erovick

One of the great things about a moist climate is that it is ideal for growing truffles. A favorite event for locals and visitors is the Oregon Truffle Festival that we host in Yamhill Valley every January.

We attract visitors from around the world who are truffle enthusiasts. As you would expect we have food and wine pairings featuring the bounty of our agricultural region. There are walk-around tastings, multi-course truffle and wine dinners, truffle hunts, and a truffle market place.

A highlight for many visitors is the Truffle Hunt and winery luncheon. It all starts with a walk through the forest in search of truffles assisted by skilled truffle hunters and trained truffle dogs. After foraging for truffles, guests are treated to a sit down lunch at a local winery. The wine is specifically chosen to bring out the best in the truffle-centric menu. A bonus is that any truffles that you find are yours to keep.

The Black & White Dinner is a culinary experience that you are unlikely to forget. At this intimate dinner, guests are treated to a multi-course menu paired with local wine and prepared by our most talented chefs. And you can only imagine with the quality of our local ingredients and wine our chefs get to create epic meals for their guests.

If you adore truffles then you will enjoy this opportunity to sample truffles and experience the creativity of our chefs in preparing memorable truffle dishes. There is an opportunity to meander through our Truffle Marketplace in search of locally crafted gourmet items that will pair with or enhance truffles.

The Annual Joriad Truffle Dog Competition is an amazing display of skill and olfactory skills by the canine competitors bred to locate truffles. The competition is fierce for the coveted Joriad Winner.

The good news is that you can pick and choose which activities are of interest while you immerse yourself in the Yamhill Valley. We think you will enjoy your visit here with over 300 wineries a short drive away, great restaurants, lovely accommodations and a warm welcome wherever you go.

For more information about the Oregon Truffle Festival visit http://www.oregontrufflefestival.com/.