Where, When, How It’s Made: How Much More Do We Care About Food Than Wine?

Posted on: July 30th, 2014 by

Baby Carrots

Over on Grape Collective I reviewed a book called Wine and Identity: Branding, heritage, terroir. I was struck by this assertion in the introduction:

“Unlike milk, flour, fruit or vegetables, consumers seek information about where, when and how wine is made, and this is a major factor in their purchase decisions.”

My response? “I see it as the opposite. While consumers will scrutinize food for being local, organic, and produced with an artisan bent (see ‘Portlandia’ for the ultimate parody of this ethos), they’ll pull a random bottle of Chardonnay off the shelf without giving it anywhere near the consideration.”

How big a part does the where/when/how of something you put on your plate or in your glass influence what you buy?

Read the entire review: Wine and Identity: Constructing Authenticity in the Glass

Carrots via ilovebutter. I love carrots cooked in butter.

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2 Responses

  1. Blake Gray says:

    Jameson: I’m always struck by it the same way as you.

    Locavorism in restaurants doesn’t seem to apply to wine. Restaurants will brag about how nearby their turnip source is, and then sell bottles of wine from across an ocean.

    • Jameson Fink says:

      Blake,

      Yeah, I thought they got it backwards in the book’s introduction.

      Thanks for your comment. Incidentally, I am a big fan of baby turnips.

      Best,

      Jameson

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