KELSEYVILLE — An updated, interactive vineyards map with several helpful features can now be found on the new Lake County Winegrape Commission website, www.lakecountywinegrape.org.
Winegrape Commis-sion Chair Peter Molnar enlisted the talents of Daniel Opalacz, creator of vinosum.com, an online wine-mapping project. The mapmaker”s work enables the Commission to be the first to have high resolution, fast processing soil and geology maps integrated into its countywide vineyard map.
The online representation of Lake County vineyards features three ways of viewing. Visitors to the website may choose “map,” “satellite” or “hybrid” (combination of map and satellite views) to explore the areas” vineyards.
In addition, Opalacz has created soil, geology and elevation layers that may be selected by the website viewer. The map utilizes TerraMetrics Imagery and Google Map data. Users may “zoom” in or out for the detail level desired.
Dozens of Lake County vineyards can be found on the website map with information about location, acreage, elevation and varietal types.
Vineyards are listed alphabetically alongside the map and by locator markers on the map.
Using an interactive tool that allows for addition of information, Lake County Winegrape Commission members may submit details about their vineyards to create the locators and listings.
Opalacz, who has a background in geology and mapping, said he built and integrated the digital soil, geology and topography maps into the Lake County Winegrape Commission”s map web page. Lake County has the distinction of displaying the first regional vineyard representation to have the high resolution combination of soil and geology maps in its vineyard map, Opalacz noted.
Molnar said he contacted Opalacz about doing the map for the Lake County Winegrape Commission”s website after seeing a news article about Opalacz”s website, vinosum.com. Impressed with what he saw, Molnar thought a similar online map would help “tell our story well” about the varietals and different soils while helping people locate the vineyards.
“I thought the (vinosum.com) map was a really clever, great use of technology,” Molnar said. “(Opalacz) put it together for us, and I think it is one of the most informative vineyard location map sites for any region within California or elsewhere.”
The Lake County Winegrape Commission website contains several other useful pages for winegrape growers and buyers including history, viticultural soils, regional profiles, listings of winegrapes for sale, weather, sustainability and the Master Vigneron Program.
Growers and others interested in Lake County”s wine industry are encouraged to explore the website, www.lakecountywinegrape.org and sign up to receive the commission”s newsletters. For additional information about the commission and its programs, visit the website or call 995-3421.
