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The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey into Terroir. 
By: Amy B. Trubek. 
 
Review By: Nicholas Hartmann 
Memorial University of Newfoundland 

 
According to author Amy Trubek, the French term terroir is a word that is incredibly difficult to define 
outside of a French context; whether looked at in relation to geography, soil or locality, terroir is a 
vital keyword in the study of food, especially in France, where much of the nation’s ideology is firmly 
rooted in the image of a farmer. A professor in food sciences and formerly an instructor at a major 
culinary institute, Trubek strives to better understand the term terroir and its meaning to food both 
inside and outside of France; her book The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey into Terroir does that 
while also giving us a better idea of the importance of taste, and the ways it is determined, within 
specific cultures. 
 
In order to provide some historical and cultural context, Trubek uses the first chapter, “Place 
Matters,” to demonstrate how terroir reflects reality. Stressing that physical traits of a place, as 
opposed to those who cultivate the place, are the major factor in defining terroir, Trubek argues that 
French cuisine is a major definer of global notions of taste, and those who create it were among the 
first to regulate how food of a specific region must be defined. Trubek goes on to describe the role of 
the rural Frenchman as a major factor in the regulation of such cuisine, as well as how such notions of 
taste are not only ingrained at an early age, but also serve as a way for people to determine their roots 
and their identity. For those interested in notions of nostalgia and self-identification, this chapter is 
well-connected to such ideas as they are discussed within folklore. 
 
Discussions regarding the local and the global, as well as the understanding (and, quite often, 
misinterpretation) of terroir are part of the second chapter “Wine is Dead! Long Live Wine!”, which 
discusses the above in relation to the controversial attempt by Robert Mondavi to develop a winery in 
the Languedoc. This chapter succeeds in demonstrating that scientific aspects of terroir are far from 
encompassing while emphasizing that local knowledge and understanding of a region and its people are 
also important to the notion of terroir. The same notions apply in the third chapter, “California 
Dreaming,” which looks comparatively at the role of terroir, as well as wine, within the state of 
California in order to demonstrate that such developments are affected by American ideas surrounding 
quality, taste, and experience. Trubek’s discussion of California wine, and the obsession with its 
more quantitative attributes, are related to issues of sustainability, class, and cultural myths 
surrounding a movement fixed on creating a better food world for Americans. 
 
An example of a chef’s role in the latter- this time within the state of Wisconsin- is the core focus of 
the fourth chapter, “Tasting Wisconsin: A Chef’s Story.” Looking at Madison-based chef Odessa Piper’s 
role in the development of a regional cuisine, Trubek brings up the duality of the desire for agrarian 
utopia and the demand of a consumer market that, quite often, only has large supermarkets from 



which to acquire their food. Through collaboration with farmers and a slow (yet steady and year-round) 
process of introducing people to the foods of their region, Piper’s inspiration is a solid example of how 
neither chefs nor growers are exclusively responsible for the creation of terroir. 
 
This connection carries on seamlessly in Trubek’s fifth chapter, “Connecting Farmers and Chefs in 
Vermont,” which examines the role of the Vermont Fresh Network in developing farmer-chef dialogue 
while encouraging the consumption of local products. This chapter is heavily based on examples, 
focusing on the Fresh Network’s holistic approach to promoting Vermont food and emphasizing the 
importance of understanding the contexts of both farming and cooking. The chapter succeeds at 
displaying the importance of adopting ideas from larger food worlds into smaller-scale, more 
sustainable efforts, but it does seem to be somewhat of a repeat of the past chapter in terms of its 
points. 
 
The final chapter, “The Next Phase: Taste of Place or Brand?,” discusses issues of commodification and 
market economics in relation to food, pointing out the concerns of lack of knowledge surrounding the 
food we eat while emphasizing the reality that pointing out terroir-rich food creates a brand image. 
Trubek emphasizes that such images create other images and often perpetuate utopian notions 
surrounding agriculture. This chapter is quite frank about the importance of commerce in the shaping 
of both food practice and terroir, and its basis in market realities makes the book seem a bit less 
utopian than other major food literature. Trubek discusses movements such as slow food in a fair and 
holistic manner. This results in a better understanding of the politics of terroir for the reader. 
 
Such politics are important for this book’s intended audience. The Taste of Place will find a good 
audience with food scholars, chefs and anyone interested in the issues surrounding foodways. 
Regarding an everyday audience, however, the frequent use of untranslated French terminology and 
the advanced tone of some of the book’s writing might not appeal to everyone. If anything, this is a 
book for those already involved in the study and/or production of food, yet it has the potential to make 
a huge impact that, eventually, can be spread to other audiences through other means. 


