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Nichol Vineyard & Estate Winery—premium hand crafted
wines since 1993
Wine has always played a large part in Ross Hackworth's life. His
earliest summer memories are of times spent on outings into Napa-St.
Helena wine country. These family outings
brought him to the Okanagan Valley. While visiting relatives there,
he and his family fell in love with the area and were soon part of the Naramata Bench.
Ross worked on the family orchard until graduation, then went to
business school and spent the next 16 years in international
business. It was during his travels that his passion for the fine
wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Alsace regions began to grow.
In 2001, Ross began the transition back to the Bench and the
rest, as they say, is history. Through a fortuitous meeting, Ross
became aware that Nichol Vineyard owners, Alex and Kathleen Nichol,
might be interested in selling their estate winery. In 2004, an
agreement was reached to transition the operation and ownership of
the winery. During the next couple of years, Ross expanded his
knowledge of wine making under the watchful eye of Alex Nichol.
Together they worked on the 2003 to 2005 vintages. Ross also spent
long hours with Kathleen Nichol and learned the specific viticulture
requirements for managing a premier site. Transition to full owner
operator was completed in February of 2006.
The site's 5.5 acres were originally planted in 1990 and became
home to the first plantings of Syrah and St. Laurent in Canada.
Syrah, originating in the Rhône Valley, had become a popular
variety in Australia, California, and Washington. St. Laurent was
still a rare variety and almost exclusive to Central Europe,
specifically Austria and the Czech Republic.
The Syrah has since garnered numerous awards and accolades at the
All Canadian Wine Competition, Northwest Wine Summit, and the
Canadian Wine Awards and is frequently featured in Ontario's
prestigious Classics Catalogue. St. Laurent, due to its limited
quantity and great popularity, is available only by preferred
mailing list. The estate also produces Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir
and a Pinot Gris that is widely known for its full body and
brilliant salmon colour. Plans for the winery include a Pinot Grigio
and Gewurztraminer from a premier high altitude site.
 Ross
Hackworth knows that a winemaker merely assists the wine in
expressing its natural traits and the unique characteristics of each
growing season. He also believes in giving his wines an extra year
to age. While most wineries in the area are set to release their
2004 reds, Nichol Vineyard will now release their 2003 vintage.
From its inception to present day, Nichol Vineyard continues the
hand crafted tradition of making premium, limited vintage wines.
Ross's focus is to continue as a small estate winery, striving to
grow world-class wines.
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