Fermentation is a process of creation that can have myriad impacts, including: enhancing taste; building community; increasing the array of products that can be extracted from the same agricultural output(s); and improving economic and political outcomes. Thus, decisions regarding what to ferment, when, and how can have profound impacts across environment, economy, and society. “”Fermented landscapes”” are landscapes wherein process(es) of agitation or turbulent change (aka “fermentation”) have wrought changes across a variety of scales, producing lively transformations amongst people, places, and microorganisms. These changes are often driven by the pursuit of taste, in its various connotations.
Pictured is a landscape vista captured from the vineyard and upscale winery, Varrazzano, in the Chianti sub-region of Tuscany, Italy, which shows the various predominant land uses (such as vineyards and olive groves) of the area as well as another hilltop castello in the distance (15 June 2018; Greve, Italy). This is a quintessential “”fermented landscape,”” which effectively gestures at the linkages between taste and place.
Cultural Geography Specialty Group 