  The first Syrah was planted at the estate in 1989 with the balance of the sites 5.5 acres being planted in 1990. This became the home of the first commercial planting of Syrah and St. Laurent in Canada. Syrah, originating in the Rhone Valley, had become a popular variety in Australia, California, and Washington. In Canada, Syrah was not even on the radar for grape growers at that time. In 2008, an additional acre of Syrah was planted at Nichol. In the past two decades, Nichol Syrah has garnered numerous awards and accolades across Canada, including at the All Canadian Wine Competition, Northwest Wine Summit, and the Canadian Wine Awards. When Ontario wine lovers receive an allocation, it is featured in Ontario's prestigious Classics Catalogue. Wine critics across Canada have embraced Nichol Syrah, with their biggest lament being that there isn't more of it. Out of more than 100 BC wines tasted on her first visit to the Okanagan in 2009, world renowned wine critic Jancis Robinson named the Nichol Vineyard Syrah among her top 25. To add to that, it was given the highest score of all BC wines tasted! She rated the 2005 Syrah a 17.5, landing in her category of "Superior" wines. Lesser known is that Nichol Vineyards also is home to the first commercial planting of St. Laurent. At the time of planting, St. Laurent was still a rare variety and almost exclusive to Central Europe, specifically Austria and the Czech Republic. Today, St. Laurent is rare in Canada, and Nichol Vineyard's wine club members know how special it is. The St. Laurent, due to its limited quantity and great popularity, is available only by preferred mailing list. |
