Getting Started with SommGeo Fast Maps
Fast Maps are SommGeo’s focused, interactive wine region maps — built for quick reference and deep exploration. Search by appellation or location, click any region for detailed data, and customize the view to suit your study workflow.
Getting Oriented
Full Screen
Click the Full Screen button in the top right corner for the best experience. The sidebar and all controls remain accessible in the embedded view, but Full Screen gives you more room to work with — especially on smaller screens or laptops where the sidebar can feel cramped.
Enable Map Scroll
Before you can zoom in and out, you’ll need to click the “Enable Map Scroll” button. This activates scroll-to-zoom within the map frame. When you need to scroll past the map on the page, press the button again to disable it — otherwise your scroll wheel will zoom the map instead of moving the page.
Navigating the Map
Search
Use the Search bar to jump directly to any region. By default, it searches by appellation or region name — type “Barossa” or “Médoc” and you’ll fly right there. You can also switch the search type using the dropdown menu to search by city or location instead, which is useful when you know where you are on a real map but want to see what appellations surround it.
Basemaps
Change the basemap to your preference using the selector at the top of the Layers list in the sidebar. Satellite imagery, topographic, light, or dark — pick whichever style makes it easiest for you to read the region boundaries and labels on screen.
Pan & Navigate
Right-click and drag to pan across the map. You can also use the zoom controls on the left side of the map, or scroll to zoom once you’ve enabled Map Scroll.
Region Popups
Click any region to open its popup with detailed information. Where appellations overlap or nest — which happens frequently in complex wine countries — you’ll see navigation arrows in the popup header (e.g., “1 of 3”). Use these to cycle through every appellation at that location.
Working with Layers
Multi-Layer Maps
Most Fast Maps load with a single layer covering the country’s wine regions. However, some maps — particularly France and Italy — offer multiple layer options due to the sheer number of appellations and the complexity of their classification systems. You’ll find these in the Layers panel in the sidebar, where you can add regional or national layers independently.
If you have a slower internet connection or experience performance delays, choose the most focused regional layer rather than loading everything at once. A full national layer for a country like France contains hundreds of appellations and can take a moment to render — starting with a single region keeps things responsive.
Map Usage & Permissions
Personal Use
You are welcome to use, download, and share SommGeo maps for personal, non-commercial purposes. If you share a map, please provide credit with a link back to sommgeo.com.
Commercial Use
The use of these maps for any commercial purpose — including but not limited to websites, print publications, marketing materials, or any other commercial venture — is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.