Influence of terroir products meaning on consumer’s expectations and likings

•Expectations are based upon scenarios illustrating specific attributes of the terroir.•Overall judgments result from tasting and informational stimuli about terroir.•Attributes related to the natural dimension of the terroir provide the best evaluations.•If informations are provided on the terroir, the image of terroir reinforces the assessments.

Given the plethora of terroir products, local food companies could find an advantage in specifying their positioning by taking into account what the terroir represents for consumers. This research contributes to identifying specific attributes of a terroir in tune with consumer expectations, and tests their capacity to ameliorate consumer hedonic assessments and judgments for these products. Results show the potential of a positioning based on the environment, which is respected by the practices of terroir producers, and which also guarantees the quality of the product.