Using our wine map tube labels, here are our plans for continued mapping of the wine world.
We would love your input.
Current maps (including Germany which we are now putting the final touches on):
Upcoming maps:
We're now committing the resources to complete all of the maps within the next year. To be honest, when we started, we thought it would be much easier. But we haven't compromised accuracy, fact checking or quality in putting our maps together. Thank you for your patience.
Any amount of input on our mapping would be greatly appreciated. To show our appreciation, we're giving away a set of our first six maps. To enter, simply write a response to this blog post. A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, November 15th 2014.
Please have a go at any one, a few or all of these questions:
- Are there any other countries or specific region(s) that you would like to see as well?
- Would you like to see more folded maps? We launched a folded version of our Italian map but the sales were just meh - perhaps because it wasn't in a set.
- Would a boxed set of all 12 maps (similar in format to the image below) appeal to you? What would be a fair price for this?
- How about electronic version - Ipad, android tablet - of all of the maps? What would be a fair price for this?
- Our current maps are 24x 36 inches. Would you like to see smaller format maps as well? Larger format?
- Last but not least, would you like to see more countries/regions in David Gissen's amazing Metro Maps Format? In a boxed and/or electronic format as well?
Any input is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support!
Comments
A customer of yours just sent me a link to this post. I own the France and California Metro maps. I have used them to study for the MSW and in my courses at the CIA. These are perfect for studying the geography of wine. I want a metro map of Italy!
This is all really great and useful feedback. Lots of great ideas. And please don’t feel that you can’t say something that’s already been mentioned. It helps a lot to get a sense of what direction to take. Thanks so much!
Steve,
I have placed your maps on available walls all over my home. They are indispensable in my study for the CSW exam. Thanks for your attention to detail and accuracy.
The blog commentators offer useful suggestions. I’ll try not to repeat anyone. The vintners associations offer fine topographical maps of Napa and Sonoma, but I have not seen anything in your clear readable style. I would like to see maps in this style that offer a way to differentiate valley floor, mountain and benchland sites.
I frame your maps so folded maps are not interesting to me. I would purchase a set of all of your maps (maybe a “wine map club” where those who purchase the set get a discount on “new releases.” ) Even so, I would rather purchase unfolded maps. Maybe send two maps every month or so. I teach theatre courses as well as wine courses and I know that educational materials are expensive. Your $29 price is reasonable. A discount for “wine map club” members would be appreciated.
The 29×36 size is perfect for hanging on the wall. For my wine classes, as one of the bloggers mentions, I would purchase high resolution jpegs to use in my Powerpoints. Selling these jpegs along with the large size maps helps to insure that you receive compensation for the work that you have put into creating the maps.
I must say that I am not a fan of the metro maps. Their graphic style does not provide the context of the the lay of the land.
All the best with your new website. Keep the maps coming.
I think these maps are the best study tool for wine there is. The accuracy and thoroughness is astounding. I would love to receive a whole boxed set, and they would make awesome gifts, where just one map is just a bit too limited. Electronic versions are a must, hopefully with some added features if possible (more close ups of important areas/vineyard names???). As for Burgundy and Bordeaux, I think these regions have been done to death and there is no shortage of great vineyard maps from these appelations.Other regions could warrant a closer look though, like Champagne, Rhone Barolo/Barbaresco… I have both Alessandro Masnaghetti maps, but they are so cluttered and broken up into tiny parcels as to pretty much be completely useless.
Pricing around $15-$20 each for individual maps is good, and then offering a significant discount on a set would be reasonable, like $100 for 10 or 12. Maybe less for on-line, but if there were extra features, it could justify a higher price.
I put them all on foam board backing. I love the size, but maybe more durable material could be used? Just food for thought. These maps have been indispensable to my studies and helped me pass the Master Sommelier exam on the first try.
Thank you so much for your incredible work on these maps. I really look forward to Germany. I’ve been waiting years for that one!
People constantly ask for a detailed map of champagne. It is virtually impossible to find a good champagne map.
I appreciate the clean functionality of your website; it works well on my phone. We recently spent a month in Northern Italy and it would have been great having digital access to your maps. I think the only paper maps we used were for subways and museums. Looking forward to your map of Germany…
I forgot to say: I have no interest in the “metro” maps. I only want to see reality.
The Countries you have slated are great.As a wine educator I particularly like your idea of less-detailed country maps paired with detailed regional maps. Ideally, there would be two sizes, small ones for handouts and studying and large versions for classroom discussions and displaying. I could use detailed maps of Italy’s major regions. Masnaghetti’s are great, but for basis learning they are too narrow in scope. I’d love a large, detailed map of Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, Alto-Adige, etc.
Although I like the storage advantage of folded maps (I have about 50 maps in tubes), I just can’t get over the folds. Flat maps are so much more satisfying to use.
The boxed set has appeal, but folds are still an issue. As much as I would like the ease of carrying and using them, I probably wouldn’t buy them. Having said that, I think $120 would be fair. I might be more tempted if the box set consisted of one of the country and 10 or so of the regions within the country.
The only time I would use an electronic version would be to display to a class on a screen. I suppose a jpg or pdf would be best for that. It would be great if a jpg or dpf could come with the purchase of a hard copy. I would pay a little more for that – maybe $5.
I like the current size, but it would be nice to also have permission to print letter-size versions from jpg’s for handouts.
Great look to the new website, Steve. I love your maps, but I’ve come to accept I’m not going to ever get a set of three, much less 6 or 12, of them in regular display on the walls in our house. I have the folded Italy map and really prefer that, although the creases will become an issue over time. The boxed set may be the most viable option for those and $100 for a dozen seems reasonable.
What I’d truly love to see you do, however, is an iPad version of your maps. Zoomable high quality PDF’s would be reasonable at, say, $50 – $75 for the dozen with updates for something like $2 or $3 per map and adding a new map for like $8 or $10. Or, even better, how about as an app? That leverages Apple Maps to allow overlaying the wine map on the Maps geographic data so you could search for place names on the bottle? And then, implement your tasting notes booklet as an app that integrates with the wine map to allow you to search for and then see the terroir you’re drinking, can capture and then display dots across the map for all the wines you’ve tasted from that country, etc. Now that would be fun!
Keep up the great work!
Congrats Steve & team, great job on the new site. I own & have myself framed, Spain, Italy & France Metro, they all look amazing hanging together and help aid me in my wine studies. Waiting for you to do an ipad version, the price I would expect at a higher price point due to ‘updates’. Would also love to purchase a work book version, with a spiral binder that can be added too and updated. Being able to purchase any updates at a discount for existing customers would be much appreciated. Each full priced map around $10/15. Then at some point more focused sub regions can be added to your offerings… Looking forward to what you come up with.