Thomas Parker’s research while affiliated with Vassar College and other places

This engaging study explores the origins and significance of the French concept of terroir, linking French consumption of food and wine today with the cultural mythology, agriculture, and philosophy that evolved between the Renaissance and the Revolution. Examining documents and readings from diverse disciplines, Thomas Parker traces the history and evolution of terroir, providing insight into how gastronomic mores were linked to aesthetics in language, literature, gardens, and painting, and how the French used the power of place to define the natural world, explain comportment, and even frame France as a nation.