My apologies for 2 emails in 1 week. But I’ve been getting many requests about this week’s Zoom tasting features and thought it best to send a mass update. Unfortunately there was a shipping error and the $100+ Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, their top estate wine was shipped instead of the excellent, but more value priced ‘Crimson’ Pinot Noir that I had featured. It seems Kingston got the correct shipment, so all our Kingston folks picking up from Pan Chancho are still good, only Byward Wine Market was got the expensive bottle. But not to worry! We have an excellent last minute substitute to stand in and represent the New Zealand style! It’s called Map Maker Pinot Noir from Marlborough. See below for details!

Did you have dinner Saturday plans that got cancelled by this latest lockdown? Join us for our weekly Saturday Zoom tasting at 7pm! Pick up any of these wines and tune in for a fun, informative, and interactive tasting while you cook, eat dinner, or just hang out and taste along! This whole Zoom series started during the winter lockdown and just kept going, and now we find ourselves in another lockdown again. Check out our last post for details on this week’s tasting here. And you can shop all the featured wines online for home delivery here. Then just send a quick email saying you want to join. It’s as easy as that.

Substitute Wine:

2016 Map Maker, Pinot Noir from Marlborough.

MAP MAKER, PINOT NOIR, 2016 | MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND
$28 per bottle at Byward Wine Market
Map Maker is the 2nd wine from Staete Landt Winery in Marlborough. It was founded by Ruud Maasdam, a Dutch ex-pat who quick his tech job in the late-90’s to move his family from the Netherlands to New Zealand and bought an old pear orchard in the “Golden Triangle” of the Wairau Valley in Marlborough. This is the heart of Marlborough, where all the original epic properties are. They are located a stones throw from the original pioneering properties like Cloudy Bay that made Marlborough famous. After ripping up the orchard and planting Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, Staete Landt steadily gained a reputation as a high end boutique winery that provided great value. Everything comes from one single vineyard, broken down into various varietal blocks. Staete Landt was the original name that Dutch explorer Abel Tasman (Tasman Sea, Tasmania, etc) gave to New Zealand after he first mapped the coast line. As a Dutch ex-pat, Ruud dedicated his whole brand to his Dutch/Kiwi explorer heritage. The added bonus here is that this Pinot is 2016 vintage, which is showing excellent complexity at 5 years old. If we can’t have the Ata Rangi from the south shore of the North Island, then I’m very happy to settle for Map Maker from the north shore of the South Island. Download the official tasting notes here.

To grab this wine or any of the others from this feature, just click this link and we can get it ready for pick up, or ship it right to your home in Ottawa.

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With this 2nd lockdown, the Byward Wine Market is fully open for in person shopping, as well as online orders offering curbside pickup or local delivery within Ottawa. Reach out if you have any questions, and check out the archive of past FEATURES if you’re interested in other recommendations. Lastly, please feel free to forward this to anyone in Ontario who may be interested in home wine delivery and follow us on Instagram for daily wine content at @bywardwinemarket and @capitalwine.ottawa!