France underground: a wine map meets Metro map


Have you ever thought about the iconic Tube maps from London or the Paris Metro maps, in all their stylized glory, and how they would look applied to wine regions?

Well, wonder no more. San Francisco architect and professor David Gissen worked up just such a map; now it is available for purchase as a cool 18 x 24 wall decoration. Each region gets its own color like one of the subway lines and the subregions are various stops. Here’s what Gissen said via email about his inspiration for the map:

I guess I made the map as a sort of loving critique. I feel that the American appreciation of EU wine is dominated by a pastoralist point of view and aesthetic. If I see another picture of a vineyard or pruning shears, or a wine map that looks like a hiking map, I might lose it. I believe that French wine (like all EU wine) was born in and through villages, towns and cities. From my perspective it’s completely urban. I want to make some artifacts that express my point of view. The map is the first of these. I may make others, but I’m not sure. Of course, if you need to learn the appellations, the metro-wine map is useful, but I’m not primarily interested in its instrumentality. I’m more interested in its ability to shift what we understand wine to be.

13 Responses to “France underground: a wine map meets Metro map”


  1. Wow, brilliant. I never thought about what he saying, but I guess it’s sort of true. What else is he going to make? did he tell you? I want it.


  2. Would be so much more fun riding the Tube!


  3. It sounds great. I’ll get one.


  4. I think the map costs less than riding the tube. I’m getting one.


  5. You must do tee-shirts; I’m first in line.


  6. Cleverly original,and well designed. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully it won’t inspire any copycats in the US, that just wouldn’t make sense 🙂


  7. fx: Sustained applause.

    I want a t-shirt, too.


  8. […] of Veneto region's wines (Chicago Tribune) 2011 grape harvest finally begins (Napa Valley Register) Is acid ever good? (Napa Valley Register) Cork and synthetic bullish about performance (Decanter) Portugal reforms […]


  9. […] loving this wine map stylized to the metro map for France. It gives it an interesting look to where the wines are […]


  10. […] of Veneto region's wines (Chicago Tribune) 2011 grape harvest finally begins (Napa Valley Register) Is acid ever good? (Napa Valley Register) Cork and synthetic bullish about performance (Decanter) Portugal reforms […]


  11. […] of Veneto region's wines (Chicago Tribune) 2011 grape harvest finally begins (Napa Valley Register) VitaBella Wine #Riesling Post (VitaBella Wine for Riesling Lovers) VitaBella Wine #Bordeaux Post (VitaBella Wine for Bordeaux Wine […]


  12. Cute but if prof. David Gissen wants to deepen his understanding of how French wine was born, I suggest he read Roger Dion’s Histoire de la Vigne et du Vin en France, des Origines aux XIXeme Siecle.


  13. […] has generated a bunch of sales and media contacts, most prominently by the re-tweeting of a post by Dr. Vino after the map was […]


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