Good Morning.

I love  to bake, but I've always stayed away from home baked Artisan breads until now. I've been doing some reading and I think it's about time I took a more serious stab at some real fresh baked bread.

I was wondering how much merit is there to the geographical origin of sourdough starters?  Is there a reason to buy starters that claim to be from San Francisco, Italy or France, (which, for all I know they really are), or am I just as well off starting one of my own in my kitchen?  Is the flavor of a particular sourdough more the function of how active the cultures are, or are there other regional factors that can affect flavor?

~Al