Curtis Krouzel and Sheri-Lee Turner-Krouzel have created a world-class wine destination only 15 minutes from the Kelowna airport. The focus is to craft the best wines in the world while delivering Unparalleled hospitality experiences at this very special place on earth. This incredible location has been further decorated with stunning buildings boasting international award winning architecture that must be seen in person to be appreciated.

50th Parallel Estate has been built from scratch to create a wine destination experience that is second to none.

In 2009, the Sheri-Lee and Curtis hand-planted the first 10 acres of vines. Curtis then engineered a planting machine tuned to the needs of the steep rocky property and now planting is mostly complete with more than 55 acres now under vine.

 

The 50th Parallel

 

Viticulturally, the stunning 61-acre property boasts more ‘Grand Cru’ vineyard qualities found in one place than many of the top vineyards in the world.  In a very short time, this place has garnered more international awards than many other wineries combined.

Everything you see, feel, and taste is focused on the wine and the special place it comes from. The name ’50th Parallel’ was chosen to represent a unique and real physical location, a meeting place that people will understand the minute they see the property.

This is a sanctuary where you can immerse yourself in the place; to just get away from everything except the endless views of vineyards and Lake Okanagan. The property has it all including a nearby public waterfront at popular Coral Beach, named for its pink granite shoreline generously shared from 50th Parallel’s rocky outcrops above.

Who are these people? – Meet the Glamour Farmers. Meet Them at the 50th.

The Proprietors:

Curtis Krouzel and Sheri-Lee Turner-Krouzel

 

Curtis is a first-generation Canadian who was born in Winnipeg.   Curtis was raised in Edmonton before coming to Calgary in 1997 and starting an oil and gas design and technology company. Similar in many ways but very different to building a vineyard.

“As I was creating businesses in Calgary, at night, in my spare time, I was always researching creating a world-class winery here in the Okanagan.  My bedtime reading is grapevine physiology and that is really dry reading.  It has been almost an 18-year-long vision trying to create something awesome and to find the right place to do it.  I have and always will be a creator, and with creation in this business, we have also found beauty in the art of nurturing.  Nurturing the vineyard and wines, nurturing the people that come to see the place.”

Curtis met Sheri-Lee in 2000 on, of all places, a house-boating trip.  They often travelled together to the Okanagan as Curtis intently researched his vision first-hand.

Sheri-Lee is also a highly successful entrepreneur with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in marketing, and a history of building great businesses in media, marketing, and fitness.

In 2004, the couple had a property investment company convince them to buy a revenue property in the Fintry area of Lake Okanagan. Two years later, once Sheri-Lee and Curtis completed a summer vacation cottage, they sat on the deck and took a good long look across the lake during a textbook Okanagan sunset, Curtis’ eyes peeled open. “I could not believe what I was looking at, it seemed too good to be true especially after so many years of exploring the Okanagan.”

Curtis quickly made a trip across the lake. “The sun, the lake reflectivity, the slope of the land was perfect. After many exploratory trips to the site, careful placement of a stealth weather station, and numerous soil tests, the couple realized this was the place to build the perfect enclave for Pinot Noir.

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Our Winemaker: Matthew Fortuna

 

Winemaker Matthew Fortuna has been with 50th Parallel since 2013 and shares the same infectious passion for Pinot Noir.  Prior to this tenure, he worked in an assistant role at another fabulous Pinot house in the Okanagan valley.  In addition, Matt worked overseas in the Mornington Peninsula for another legendary producer Moorooduc Estates learning more about southern hemisphere winemaking.  Matt has set his sights on taking the vineyards to another level of quality production with the help of his experienced vineyard team.  With parts of the vineyard at the estate now entering into the tenth year of maturity,  Matt is dialled in to using his new state-of-the-art gravity flow winery to produce some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir.

Curtis and Sheri-Lee are proudly excited about the entire team that they have assembled over the years. As the Estate continues to grow, they are now most excited about the people that are drawn to the place and the vision.

Yours to share

Pinot Noir makes up about 35% of the winery’s production, and is the only red wine produced here as critical focus is required to make great Pinot Noir. The carefully chosen complimentary white aromatic wines produced are the flagship Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, and some beautiful examples of traditional method sparkling wine. The winery also cultivates vineyards specifically for a dry Pinot Noir Rosé similar in style to some great wines from Provence.

50th Parallel Estate is focused on doing only a very few things, and doing them very well.

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