We should think terroir with most of our foods, especially when it comes to wines and cheeses. Artisanal cheeses from one dairy cannot be replicated at another. Cheese-makers at different farms can share techniques, but their cheeses will never be identical because of differences in soil content. The pastures upon which the cows, sheep or goats graze affects the flavor of their milk which affects the taste of the cheese. For this reason, when purchasing cheese it's important to think of terroir.
In French, terroir means soil, terrain, land, ground and earth. A cheese, like Laguiole, is partially defined by its region because of the soil. Laguiole has a slightly meaty and mineral-like taste that derives from the milk of cows grazing on grass that grows out of soil rich in volcanic ash. When purchasing cheeses, it's important to consider the condition of the animals that produced the milk that created the cheese. The animals should be grazing freely. At the very least, they should be fed grasses, leaves and flowers from the soil on which they live.
In Italy, a movement called Sotto Cielo -- literally "under the sky" -- has taken shape in order to preserve this cheese-making tradition. As industrial cheese-making becomes the norm throughout the world, people are increasingly interested in finding ways to preserve past culinary traditions by paying close attention to terroir.
This is just another way you can tell the difference between poor quality and good quality. An artisanal Comté will have a beautiful intense aroma and taste because the cows are grazing on meadows full of wild dandelions and native grasses.
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