Marketing budgets may be getting leaner but visitor expectations sure are not. One of the smartest moves a winery can make isn't a bigger spend: it's a shared one. Pooling resources with neighboring wineries doesn't dilute your brand. It amplifies it, elevates your entire area as a destination, and gives visitors a richer experience that keeps them coming back.

At HipMaps we create custom-designed maps with an app that help wineries amplify their marketing, enhance the visitor experience, and easily refer business to each other in a unique and engaging way. Here's how it works: a group of wineries — whether a formal association like Alexander Valley Winegrowers or an informal collection of neighbors — pools together to create one beautiful, branded map featuring all of their locations, in the style and branding that reflects their area.

Hear from HipMaps Founder Rachel LeRoy, see examples of how Alexander Valley Winegrowers and others are utilizing their HipMap, and watch a short demo of the interactive app that your visitors will love:

The maps are versatile image files that can live on your website, in your email campaigns, on social media, incorporated into advertising and marketing campaigns, or as printed paper maps for guests who prefer them. But the real magic happens with the app.

When visitors arrive in your area, they simply scan a QR code to download the HipMaps app — no account required. They enter an access code unique to your map and instantly have an interactive map showing their real-time location among all the participating wineries. Each winery gets a curated note giving guests that insider scoop that makes a visit feel personal, plus website links and turn-by-turn directions. It's the kind of intuitive, engaging tool that younger visitors especially love.

And it doesn't break the bank: twenty wineries contributing $100 each covers the cost.

The result? Every participating winery gets a fantastic marketing tool — not just for their own tasting room, but for the entire region. You elevate each other.

Want to explore what this could look like for your area? We'd love to connect — schedule a Discovery Call at HipMaps.com

HipMaps and the Direct To Consumer Wine Symposium teamed up to enhance the attendee experience at the upcoming 2026 DTC Wine Symposium in Monterey, California from January 20^th to 22^nd. The Wine Symposium HipMap features hand-selected local favorites: hot spots and hidden gems recommended by Monterey locals.

Symposium attendees can explore the best of Monterey by downloading the HipMaps app and entering access code DTCWS to see their real-time location on the map, read the inside scoop about each place, learn who is offering discounts to DTC Wine Symposium attendees, access websites, and get directions.

HipMaps Founder Rachel LeRoy will be onsite in the DTC Wine Symposium tradeshow where attendees can enter to win a free HipMap. Learn more here.

How HipMaps Serves the Wine Industry

HipMaps helps wineries and wine associations in two distinct ways: Custom Vineyard Maps designed for tasting rooms and marketing materials showcase a winery's vineyards, AVAs, terrain and wine story, creating educational experiences with a branded visual that helps visitors better understand and appreciate the importance of location. HipMaps with an Interactive App are perfect for wine associations, groups of winery partners, and multi-location experiences – the custom-branded map comes alive in the HipMaps app, a modern solution that engages all generations. Set up a Discovery Call to brainstorm with Rachel on how HipMaps can best help!  

HipMaps and Alexander Valley Winegrowers (AVWG) have collaborated to bring AVWG's 40-year legacy to life through a custom-designed HipMap and interactive app experience!

A Community Built on Family and Tradition

Located in northeastern Sonoma County just north of Healdsburg, California, the Alexander Valley is home to 33 wineries and 77 winegrowers, many of them family operations with generations of history in the valley. It's a community where tradition, collaboration, and world-class winemaking go hand in hand. The Alexander Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and HipMaps provides a modern tool that helps visitors truly experience and understand this magnificent valley.

The AVWG HipMap showcases the valley's diverse terrain, from vineyards on the valley floor along the beautiful Russian River to those nestled in the Mayacama Mountains. The interactive app lets visitors see their real-time location on the custom-branded map, learn about each member winery through curated descriptions, access website links for current information, and get turn-by-turn directions as they explore.

The AVWG HipMap serves both first-time visitors trying to understand the geography of this 25-mile-long valley and returning enthusiasts planning their route between favorite family wineries. The HipMap is also utilized in AVWG's marketing and advertising efforts, making it easy for member wineries to refer customers to each other.

Learn more about upcoming events, including TASTE Alexander Valley in April 2026, at AlexanderValley.org

How HipMaps Serves the Wine Industry

HipMaps helps wineries and wine associations in two distinct ways:

Custom Vineyard Maps: Designed for tasting rooms and marketing materials, these maps showcase a winery's vineyards, AVAs, terrain and wine story, creating educational experiences with a branded visual that helps visitors better understand and appreciate the importance of location.

HipMaps with Interactive App: Like the AVWG HipMap, perfect for wine associations, groups of winery partners, and multi-location experiences. The custom-branded map comes alive in the HipMaps app, a modern solution that engages all generations!

Learn more and schedule a chat at HipMaps.com

Tasting room guests aren't looking for just a pour – they're craving understanding and a deeper connection to your brand. Your guests want to know why your Pinot Noir vineyard is in a completely different location than your Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard. They want to grasp the unique ways that hills, valleys, and ocean proximity create the perfect conditions for each of your wines. Your tasting room team members can explain these reasons but without a visual aid guests struggle to truly envision and understand the multiple factors that differentiate each of your wines.

The Missing Visual Link

When your visitor has trouble picturing the reasons why location matters for your wines – especially out-of-town visitors - a custom-designed and branded map of your vineyards provides the visual connection they're missing. Your map becomes a powerful educational tool that works 24/7 – showcasing your vineyards in the various AVAs or highlighting blocks on your Estate. A vineyard map is able to illustrate the sense of place which makes your wines unique while also visually telling the story of your brand.

For example, the Winery Sixteen 600 map of vineyards (below) focuses on the hills and valleys of their Sonoma-area vineyards, highlights the AVAs where their vineyards are located, and includes the varietals grown at each vineyard. This map is designed in their branding and style, and printed on the back are details about each of their current releases for use in the tasting room and wine club shipments.

More Than Decoration

A well-designed vineyard map isn't just wall art – it's a visual storytelling tool that:

• Helps visitors understand why certain varietals thrive in specific locations.
• Gives your team members the visual they need to bring your story to life.
• Creates memorable "aha moments" about your wines.
• Makes wine more accessible and less intimidating for newer wine enthusiasts.
• Strengthens customer connections through deeper appreciation and understanding.

A Marketing Workhorse

Your custom vineyard map – designed using your style and branding – can be used in multiple ways: in your tasting room, during virtual tastings, on your website and social media, in email marketing campaigns, in wine club shipments, incorporated into marketing materials, by your sales reps, and printed on merchandise. A vineyard map is much more than a map; it's a versatile marketing asset that deepens customer understanding and strengthens your brand. 

Let's Chat!

Every vineyard map that HipMaps creates starts as a blank slate, custom-designed to showcase the elements that make YOUR wines special, using your unique style and branding. Head to HipMaps.com and set up a Discovery Call - let's brainstorm the ways a custom-designed vineyard map will profoundly and memorably enhance your guests' experience!

We're making it easier than ever for winery associations, informal groups of wineries and winery partners to collaborate on a sophisticated marketing tool that works 24/7 for years to come! Our Harvest Special offers the best value we've ever provided so maximize your marketing budget with a collaborative HipMap!

What You Get With Our Harvest Special

✓ 10% discount - Custom HipMap is normally $1,999, now $1,799.
✓ Unlimited app uses for the entire first year (normally $100 to $1,000 extra).
✓ Flexible timeline – purchase before October 1^st but start designing when you're ready.

When shared among 20 participating wineries, that breaks down to just $90 per winery in year one with no additional charges.

See It In Action

Want to see exactly what your $90 investment creates? Watch this 3.5-minute video as HipMaps Founder Rachel LeRoy shares examples of HipMaps designs and demonstrates the features of HipMaps interactive app that the younger generations especially love. See an example of an AVA Association HipMap at Heart of Willamette Wineries website!

Why Groups Love This Deal

Savvy AVA Associations and informal groups of wine partners know that pooling marketing resources creates bigger impact than going solo. Collaborate for a professional marketing tool that works around the clock - referring business between members, educating visitors about your region, and creating memorable experiences that keep people talking.

The interactive app shows visitors exactly where they are on your custom map, provides your curated insights about each winery, and offers direct links to websites and directions. Perfect for engaging both tech-savvy millennials and traditional wine lovers who prefer printed materials.

Limited Time Only

This special pricing ends October 1st, 2025. You just need to secure the special rate by then – we can start your design after harvest, next year or whenever your group is ready!

Ready to give your winery association or group the marketing boost it deserves? Connect with us at HipMaps.com before October 1st!

Picture this: 20 wineries each contribute $100 and collectively receive a sophisticated marketing tool that works 24/7 for years to come, referring business to each other, marketing their area, and creating memorable experiences for visitors. With HipMaps' Harvest Special it's even easier for groups of winery partners like yours to maximize your marketing budget with a collaborative HipMap!

The Math That Makes Sense

With HipMaps' Harvest Special*, your group receives a 10% discount on a custom HipMap, bringing the normal $1,999 price down to $1,799. AND you receive unlimited HipMaps app uses for the first year! When shared among 20 participating wineries, that breaks down to just $90 per winery in year one with no additional charges.

After the first year, HipMaps app hosting ranges from $100 to $1,000 annually depending on usage, meaning each of your 20 wineries would contribute between $5 and $50 per year for ongoing hosting – still less than most wineries spend on a single advertisement!

Of course, the more you invite to participate in your HipMap the lower the cost for each participating business. You could invite restaurants or wine shops that carry local wine, or other partner businesses.

See It In Action

Want to see exactly what your $90 investment creates? Watch this 3.5-minute video as HipMaps Founder Rachel LeRoy shares examples of HipMaps designs and demonstrates the features of HipMaps interactive app.

Printable, Digital and In The App

Each participating winery in your group receives the professionally designed, custom-branded HipMap that works both as a printed piece for your tasting rooms and as an interactive experience through the HipMaps app. Your visitors see their real-time location on your branded HipMap, read personalized comments about each winery, access website links, and get turn-by-turn directions – all while staying connected to your group's collective brand.

The HipMap image can be used on all of your websites, social media, and email marketing campaigns as well as in regional marketing materials. It makes the younger generations especially happy with the interactive app, and it can be printed for those who prefer paper maps – making it a perfect addition to a wine club shipment.

Beyond the Numbers

What makes this investment particularly smart is how it transforms your individual marketing efforts into collective strength. Instead of your group of 20 or 30 wineries each spending your marketing budgets in isolation, you're pooling resources to create something more impactful than any single winery could achieve alone. The result? A professional and unique tool that elevates your entire region's visitor experience while building genuine partnerships between neighboring wineries and the community.

Whether you are a formal winery association or an informal group, or you are wineries and businesses within the same ownership family, this collaborative approach creates wins that extend far beyond the modest financial investment. Ready to collaborate and create something impactful? Connect with us at HipMaps.com and let's chat about how we can best help your group reach new heights!

*Our Harvest Special ends on October 1, 2025. Your HipMap must be purchased by October 1st - but there is no deadline to start the design.

When wine, community, and celebration come together, magic happens! For the fourth consecutive year, HipMaps has had the honor of partnering with Out In The Vineyard to design a custom HipMap for Gay Wine Weekend in Sonoma Wine Country.

A Weekend Worth Mapping

Gay Wine Weekend (July 18-20) brings together the LGBTQ+ community for an incredible celebration across the Russian River Valley and Healdsburg. From winemaker dinners and vineyard tours to a twilight T-Dance and drag queen brunch benefit auction, this weekend packs amazing experiences across multiple locations.

Why Multi-Venue Events Need More Than a Schedule

With so many venues, activities, and timing considerations, attendees need more than just a schedule – they need a visual guide that helps them navigate seamlessly between experiences. The Gay Wine Weekend custom-branded map allows attendees to use the HipMaps interactive app where they:

• See their real-time location right on the Gay Wine Weekend HipMap so they never get lost.
• Read curated event details and insider tips about each location.
• Utilize website links for last-minute information.
• Access turn-by-turn directions to ensure everyone arrives at the right place at the right time.

The Power of Connection

Gary and the Out In The Vineyard team understand that great events are about connection – between people, places, and experiences. By providing attendees with a beautiful, functional tool – branded to reflect the weekend's celebratory spirit - that guides them through their weekend, they're removing barriers and creating space for what matters most: community and celebration. Learn more about attending Gay Wine Weekend here!

Planning an event?

Whether you're organizing a wine club celebration, multi-winery progressive event, or regional wine festival, a custom HipMap ensures your guests focus on enjoying the experience rather than worrying about logistics. Let's brainstorm how we can enhance your guests' experience and ensure your event runs smoothly: head to HipMaps.com to set up a Discovery Call and let’s chat!

The wine industry is made stronger with collaboration, and we love seeing how winery associations – both formal and informal - support each other to create wins for everyone. From a collection of Oregon's Yamhill-Carlton AVA members referring business to each other to Sonoma Valley’s family-owned Little Vineyards sending tasters deeper into their community, we're designing custom HipMaps that showcase how winery partnerships can elevate the entire visitor experience.

A True Community Effort

When groups of wineries use HipMaps to refer business to each other, each participating winery displays their custom branded and styled HipMap prominently in their tasting room, making it very easy for guests to discover other wineries to visit. Visitors simply scan the QR code on the map, download our user-friendly app, and enter an access code specific to that map. Then…

Our Interactive App Makes This Map Experience Special

When guests open the HipMaps app they see their real-time location on the custom map – making it very easy to plan their stay and get to know the region better! In Yamhill-Carlton, each participating winery crafted personalized comments about their winery, sharing tidbits about what makes each stop unique. Whether it's highlighting a winery's stunning view, their specialty varietals, or their dog-friendly patio, these curated recommendations strengthen the connection between visitor and host.

Seamless Planning & Navigation

Guests can easily see where they are in relation to the recommendations on the map, helping them plan their day more effectively and extend their stay in the region. At Little Vineyards, tasting room customers are given an Estate vineyards block map to follow along during their tasting, and on the flip side is Little Vineyards’ HipMap full of personalized recommendations. Their HipMap highlights other wineries they recommend and partner with, their favorite area restaurants and shops, and even spotlights great hiking trails. With direct website links and turn-by-turn directions built right into the app, there are no barriers between interest and action.

The Power of Collaboration

By blending hospitality with technology, forward-thinking organizations are creating something more valuable than any individual marketing effort could achieve. They're not just referring business to each other – they're creating unforgettable experiences that keep visitors coming back and talking about the region as a whole.

Ready to strengthen your winery community? Whether you're part of an AVA association, informal partnership, or ownership group, a HipMap can help you showcase the best of your region while driving longer stays and cross-promotions. Let's brainstorm how we can best help your group create these community wins! Head to HipMaps.com and set up a time for us to brainstorm.

Connect with HipMaps at the Wine Sales Symposium in Santa Rosa on May 14, 2025. Learn about our two innovative mapping solutions specifically designed for wineries seeking to enhance visitor engagement and brand storytelling.

First, custom-designed vineyard maps transform standard tastings into educational, immersive journeys by showcasing unique terroir, AVAs, and wine narratives - elevating brands rather than simply mapping them.

Second, HipMaps, including our interactive app, showcases the best of your region - partner with local wineries and businesses and offer personalized recommendations. Blend your hospitality with our tech to create unforgettable experiences!

These custom-styled visualizations elevate tasting rooms, marketing materials, AVA associations, and collaborative winery partnerships with sophisticated, branded experiences for guests.

Wine Sales Symposium attendees who visit the HipMaps booth will learn how these award-winning mapping solutions boost engagement and sales, and can enter to win a free HipMap and receive a show discount. Hope to see you there!

HipMaps.com

HipMaps Founder Rachel LeRoy had a great time on TheWineProPodcast with Christine Fife and Bronwen Hanes of Selling Wine Strategies – have a listen as we talk wine tasting, how maps help wineries bring their brand story to life & enhance wine tastings, swap some stories, and share laughs!
https://www.sellingwinestrategies.com/podcast

Heading to the Direct To Consumer Wine Symposium in Monterey, California from January 21st to 23rd?

We gathered Monterey locals’ favorites - restaurants, libations, and fun things to do - to help you have the best experience while you're in the area! Monterey has an overwhelming number of great choices and we highlight the best of the best.

Check out these spotlights by entering access code DTCWS in the HipMaps app. In the app you will see your real-time location on our map, read the locals' inside scoop on each place, link to websites, and get directions!

Head to HipMaps.com for app download links and more info - and be sure to come by our booth in the DTCWS trade show to enter to win a free HipMap! 

During tastings, your guests engage their senses of smell and taste of the wine as well as hearing your tasting room staff educate them on the wines. Now imagine enhancing that sensory journey with a stunning visual story – a beautifully crafted map of your vineyard locations with AVAs, or of your estate vineyard blocks. More than just a decorative piece, a custom-designed map transforms the tasting experience into an immersive journey.

Your map is a wonderful way to increase your customer’s appreciation of your vineyards and wines. You can include whatever information is important to your wines - elevation, varietals, age of vines, clones, etc. – to convey the info in an easy-to-understand and visually pleasing way. A true enhancement to how your staff is educating. 

When an out-of-town visitor who is not familiar with the geography of the area struggles to grasp why locations matter – such as why the Pinot Noir vineyard is in a totally different location than the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard – your branded map will provide the missing link. They'll discover why certain varietals thrive in specific locations and how the interplay of hills, valleys, and climate creates the perfect conditions for your wines. A well-designed map provides your customers with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the sense of place that makes your wines unique.

Your map will be delivered as an image file so it can be used in your tasting room, during virtual tastings, on your website, social media, in marketing materials, by your sales reps, and printed on merchandise for gift or for sale. It's more than a map; it's a visual storytelling tool that strengthens your brand and deepens customer connections.

Connect with us to chat about your map ideas and let’s see if HipMaps is a good fit to design your perfect map! Head here to set up a Discovery Call with HipMaps Founder Rachel LeRoy.

Is your AVA Association, Winery Association, or group of winery partners looking for an affordable way to refer customers to one another? HipMaps offers a solution that engages visitors of all generations: a custom, personalized map of your group’s members that can both be printed and used in the HipMaps interactive app.

In the HipMaps app, guests see their real time location right on your map, read your curated comments about each winery on your map (“Specializing in Rhone varietals, they have a lovely view from their tasting room”), link directly to websites, and get directions.

Millennials, and younger generations in general, prefer digital solutions over paper. On the other hand, older generations often still appreciate paper brochures, maps and other materials. HipMaps makes all the generations happy by offering custom maps that are accessible both on our user-friendly HipMaps app and in print.

A HipMap is the perfect tool for promoting awareness of the wineries in your group, easily referring business and creating memorable experiences for your visitors!

Affordable, Effective Marketing For Winery Groups

An investment of $1950 for your HipMap is an unbeatable marketing investment: since a HipMap can spotlight up to 30 different wineries or locations, splitting the cost of a HipMap among 30 members makes each $65 share an exceptional value!

Personalized Maps Tailored To Your Needs

Every HipMap starts out as a blank slate. Your unique HipMap includes the wineries and highlights YOU choose, exactly what you would like to say about each location, and is designed in your style and branding. No two HipMaps are the same!  

A HipMap’s versatility makes it ideal for winery associations, AVA associations, informal groups (e.g. boutique wineries in a particular area), and wineries within the same ownership group. We design maps all over the world.

Explore A Sample HipMap Winery Association Map

Ready to see HipMaps in action? Check out our sample map of a pretend winery association – featuring real wineries that we love! Scan the QR code on the HipMap below or go to Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Download the HipMaps app, allow access to your location while using the app, and enter the access code HipMaps 

If you are in the Sonoma/Napa area you will see your real-time location (the ‘little blue dot’) on our map. Click on the bottom of the app “Click here for list and directions“ to bring up the list of wineries on the map, our comment about each one, and then click their website button or the directions button.

Let’s Chat!

Interested in brainstorming to see if this is a good fit for you and your group? Head here to set up a Discovery Call with HipMaps Founder Rachel LeRoy and let’s brainstorm on how we can best help!

HipMaps.com

Millennials, and younger generations in general, prefer digital solutions over paper. On the other hand, older generations often still appreciate paper brochures, maps and other materials. HipMaps makes all the generations happy by offering custom maps that are accessible both on our user-friendly HipMaps app and in print.

In the HipMaps app, guests see their real time location right on your map, read your curated comments about each place that you highlight, link to directly websites, and get directions.

Personalized Maps Tailored To Your Needs

Every HipMap starts as a blank slate and is versatile to meet your goals. Your unique HipMap includes locations and highlights YOU choose, exactly what you would like to say about each location, and is designed in your style and branding. No two HipMaps are the same!  

Because of HipMaps’ versatility, they are great for winery associations, AVA associations, informal groups (e.g. boutique wineries in a particular area), wineries within the same ownership group, or other clusters of partners and collaborators. We design maps all over the world.

A HipMap is the perfect tool for promoting awareness of your winery and winery partners and creating memorable experiences for your guests!

Affordable, Effective Marketing For Winery Groups

When you split the $1,950 cost of a HipMap among members of your group, it offers an unbeatable value. A HipMap can spotlight up to 30 different locations, so that $65 share of the cost becomes the best $65 marketing investment each winery could spend!

Explore A Sample HipMap Winery Association Map

Ready to see HipMaps in action? Check out our sample map of a pretend winery association – featuring real wineries that we love! Scan the QR code on the HipMap below or go to Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Download the HipMaps app, allow access to your location while using the app, and enter the access code HipMaps 

If you are in the Sonoma/Napa area you will see your real-time location (the ‘little blue dot’) on our map. Click on the bottom of the app “Click here for list and directions “ to bring up the list of wineries on the map, our comment about each one, and then click their website button or the directions button.

Let’s Chat!

Interested in brainstorming to see if this is a good fit for you and your group? Head here to set up a Discovery Call with HipMaps Founder Rachel LeRoy and let’s brainstorm on how we can best help!

Selected from more than 350 submissions across five criteria groups, HipMaps has been named a 2024 Skift IDEA Award Finalist in the Creative Design category.

As the smallest organization among the six finalists, HipMaps joins the ranks of prestigious names such as New York City Tourism + Conventions, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

“HipMaps' recognition is a win for all small businesses” said Rachel LeRoy, founder and CEO of HipMaps. “Yes, our companies may be much smaller but we can stand shoulder to shoulder with industry giants.”

Now in its sixth year, the Skift IDEA Awards celebrate excellence in design, creativity, and innovation within the travel industry. “The sixth edition of Skift IDEA Awards has been our biggest to date, and solidifies its standing as the travel industry’s most coveted achievement for excellence in design, creativity and innovation” the organization stated. Finalists and award recipients are selected by an independent panel of judges. (More information about this year’s short list can be found here.)

HipMaps designs custom maps that are both printable and used in their interactive app. Each map is tailored specifically to its target audience, displaying places that the host wants to highlight for guests and visitors, and designed using the host's style and branding.

“We have evolved in the three years since HipMaps was launched,” LeRoy said. “We initially focused on helping the meetings and events industry provide their guests with an elevated experience. We still do that, but we also serve the travel and tourism industry – hotels and vacation rentals, visitors bureaus, and municipalities. Our maps and app are quite versatile, and we help hosts meet their goals in a wide range of situations."  

In 2023 HipMaps was awarded the BizBash Event Experience Award for the Best New Event Product/Service. LeRoy was named one of the 2023 Trendsetters by Meetings Today magazine; she was also named one of the BizBash 2023 Industry Innovators Top Ten in Event Tech.

“Our maps are designed to function like a personal 24/7 concierge,” LeRoy said. “By combining usefulness, versatility, personalization, and technology, we foster a deeper connection between the host, the location, and the visitor. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

The final results of the Skift IDEA Awards will be announced in August.

When wine enthusiasts visit a tasting room, they usually have a general knowledge of the winery’s reputation and its wine region. They’re looking forward to tasting and learning more about the wines and enjoying the culinary experience. They may research the area before traveling, follow the winery on social media, search Google, or reach out to friends and family for ideas on other things to do on their trip. 

Visitors often ask tasting room staff for recommendations on places to stay, the best restaurants for dining, and other wineries and attractions to visit. While the winery team is always happy to help, they’re often too busy to help with more than a few quick suggestions. 

Innovative mapping company HipMaps has a solution. The company works with a winery, chamber of commerce, grower association, hotel, or event organization to design a map customized to their needs and branded with their logo and style. The map can include anything from recommendations and reviews about lodging, shops, restaurants, and museums to trails and even local “hidden gems,” like the location of the best Taco truck.

 HipMaps are both printable and used on the HipMaps interactive app, engaging the younger generations who prefer digital to print. In the HipMaps app, guests can see their location on the map, read the winery’s comments about each place, link to websites, and get directions. The app comments are personalized by the winery team, such as “Sandy’s favorite place to relax after a busy day is Dillon’s Bar on Fifth Street.”

The inspiration that led Rachel LeRoy to create HipMaps in 2020 came from her lifelong fascination with maps. “Maps are my way of spreading joy — they make people happy,” says LeRoy. “Whether they’re a paper map on the wall or a digital map on your phone, maps are always helpful. They’re also a great connection to the thoughtful people who gave you the map.”

LeRoy and her team also design print-only maps for tasting rooms and winery marketing use, which is a helpful tool to show vineyard locations, AVAs, terrain, and other pertinent information that a winery would like to use to educate its customers. “The tasting room maps help visitors better understand how the wine relates to the area,” LeRoy explains. “The extra visual is a nice way to add another dimension to the sensory experience of a wine tasting.” Memento Mori displays their vineyard map on their website and also prints laminated versions to distribute at their events. Another winery that has embraced a vineyard map is Tongue Dancer in Healdsburg, which creates 5×5” maps for their annual wine shipments, showing a map of vineyards and AVAs on one side and the year’s releases on the other. 

“Since all the maps we design are images,” LeRoy explains, “they can be printed on merchandise like a tote bag. One winery turned their map into a jigsaw puzzle that customers could purchase.”

No matter if it is a HipMap or a vineyard map, every map begins as a blank slate, with the client supplying their branded artwork and the locations, facts, and images that will be most valuable to their guests. LeRoy’s team turns that into a design that highlights the most pertinent information in the winery’s style. When it’s ready, the winery can have its map printed and mounted on its tasting room wall, laminate the maps to reuse in tasting presentations, or print them as paper maps for customers to take with them. 

Whether it is a HipMap full of recommendations or a map of vineyard locations, maps are a creative visual tool to help a winery — or any other business — make a special connection with its customers. To learn more about how HipMaps can add value to your winery, visit their WISS booth and find them at HipMaps.com.

Looking for a great tool that your tasting room staff can use to educate and engage your customers? A beautiful map of your vineyard locations & AVAs designed with your style and branding is a wonderful way to increase your customer’s appreciation of your vineyards and wines. You can include whatever information is important to your wines - elevation, varietals, age of vines, clones, etc. – to convey the info in an easy-to-understand and visually pleasing way.

When an out-of-town customer who is not familiar with the geography of the area struggles to grasp why locations matter – such as why the Pinot Noir vineyard is in a totally different location than the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard – your branded map will provide the missing link. Your customers will see where they are in the tasting room on your map and their relation to the vineyard close to the ocean and the far-inland vineyard; they will also see the variety of hills, valleys and terrain in the area. A well-designed map provides your customers with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the sense of place that makes your wines unique.

Providing a colorful map also stimulates your customers’ visual sense, adding to their already-engaged senses of smell and taste. Your customers will love the memorable way that your map, featuring your logo and your colors, fonts and style, will add to their tasting experience.

Your map will be delivered as an image file so it can also be used on your website, social media, in marketing materials, and printed on merchandise for gift or for sale.

Connect with us to chat about your map ideas and let’s see if HipMaps is a good fit to help! Email Rachel at Rachel@HipMaps.com or call 888-307-2232