Identifying your organization’s terroir

Before one may design or transform an organization’s digital ecosystem, one must master the understanding of the organization’s terroir. In wine making, ‘terroir’ (ter wahr) is a French word used to describe all of the environmental factors that impact the growth of the vines / grapes and ultimately the characteristics of wine. These environmental factors include the sun, sun exposure, the slope of the hill where the vines may be growing, the soil, temperature shifts and a plethora of other factors the winemaker does and does not have control over. Terroir is a combination of altitude, aspect, soil type, drainage, and the micro-climate.

The wine tastes like the place where it is grown and there becomes a clear connection between the place where the grapes are grown and the flavor profile of the wine. A ‘terroir focused wine’ seamlessly pairs with the foods grown in the same region. This flavor profile may change year to year, vintage to vintage, and region to region. Usually, wines made from smaller areas (down to a single small parcel in a vineyard) have more “sense of place” than wines made from grapes from all over a large region. Some grapes, like riesling and pinot noir, are said to express terroir well because they taste very different when grown in different areas (Suckling, 2020). The wine serves as a representation of time and place via the flavor. Great wine can…