Mastering the SommGeo Map Makers
Your complete guide to SommGeo’s interactive Map Maker tools. Build your own custom wine region views, annotate what matters, and export polished maps for study or presentation.
Getting Oriented
Start in Full Screen
Click the Full Screen button in the top right corner for the best experience. The main toolbar along the bottom is visible in every view, but the Download Image button — which appears at the end of the Save workflow — can be cut off on smaller screens or when viewing the map in its embedded frame. Full Screen ensures you have access to every feature and gives you the most comfortable working space.
Building Your View
Basemaps
Choose the map style that works best for you — satellite imagery, topographic, or one of several other options. Once you pick a basemap, head to Map Layers and activate the matching label set: dark labels for light basemaps, white labels for dark basemaps. This keeps region names legible regardless of your chosen style.
Map Layers
This is where it gets interesting. Toggle wine region layers on and off, adjust transparency for the best visual balance against your basemap, and control whether labels are visible. You’ll also find the Swipe tool here — drag a divider across the map to reveal or hide layers, which is a great way to quiz yourself on regional boundaries.
Legend & Interactive Mode
Open the Legend panel and switch to Interactive mode (the tab at the top). This lets you add regions to the map one by one — useful for focused study or building a custom view of specific appellations. Want to capture what you’ve built? Use your computer’s built-in screenshot tool (the Save button exports the full layer, not your Interactive selection).
2D / 3D Mode
Switch between flat and three-dimensional views to see how topography shapes wine regions — particularly useful for understanding slope, aspect, and elevation differences. Keep in mind: not all layers render correctly in 3D mode. If a layer seems to disappear, switch back to 2D — it’s a platform limitation, not a bug.
Exploring Region Data
Region Popups
Click any highlighted region to open its popup with detailed information — area, key grape varieties, terroir notes, and more. Each popup includes a “Zoom to” button to fly directly to that region’s boundaries.
Navigating Overlapping Regions
Wine appellations frequently overlap or nest inside one another. When you click a location where multiple regions intersect, you’ll see navigation arrows in the popup header (e.g., “1 of 3”). Use these to cycle through every appellation at that point — this is one of the most powerful features for understanding how wine classification systems layer on top of each other.
Annotation & Export
Sketch Tools (2D Only)
Add your own annotations directly on the map — drop pins on key producers, draw lines to mark appellation boundaries you’re studying, use shapes to outline areas of interest, or place text labels for your own notes. You’ll find options for symbol style, size, color, and rotation. Custom popups can even be attached to your sketched features. Note: Sketch is only available in 2D mode.
Save & Download
Click Save to capture your current map view as an image. By default, “Include Legend” is checked — you’ll almost always want to uncheck this for a cleaner export. Choose your file type, then click Download Image. Important: the Download Image button can be cut off when not in Full Screen mode, so make sure you’re full-screen before exporting.