50th Parallel Winery

Truly one of Canada’s exemplary destination wineries, is set in Lake Country on a stunning 61-acre southwest-sloping site.

The Beginning

50th parallel winery has made a name for itself in the Okanagan wine region, and they aren’t stopping any time soon. Proprietors and owners, Curtis and Sherri-Lee Krouzel first fell in love with the land of their now thriving winery and vineyard in 2009 after a few years of scoping the area, multiple soil tests and numerous on-site visits. “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”, Krouzel reminisces. After purchasing the land, the couple 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 complete with an impressive 50 acres under vine.

The Wine

In 2011, the first wines were released from 50th Parallel; a modest 700 cases and five years later in 2016, the winery produced close to 14,000 cases of wine. The winery building was constructed specifically to handle Pinot Noir, utilizing the natural slope of the site and gravity to gently process the grapes, rather than mechanically pumping the juice and skins. They have been winning awards, both nationally and internationally, since the first vintage and have expanded their inventory from the single award-winning Pinot Noir to multiple aromatic whites, and even a rosé. “The uniqueness of the geography (of 50th Parallel) and have being able to tour the world and tastes the finest wines” is what makes Curtis and Sherri-Lee proud owners.

The Visit

Block One is the estates dining experience that you surely will not want to miss. The name represents the first vineyard planted back in 2009 and is very special to Sheri-Lee and Curtis. “It taught us to be farmers; to be ONE with the land. There are things we will never experience again. That vineyard block represents the past – the starting point, getting our hands dirty, all the ‘firsts’ of our business”. Guests will be amazed by the seating area for the outdoor portion of the restaurant. You are covered by an engineering wonder above in a one-of-a-kind cantilever that is already drawing attention in the worlds architectural community. The year-round restaurant moves to an equally impressive indoor space during inclement days and in the winter months. Newly added this past year is latest phase of the estate which includes a new events space, extensive wine cave system and a glass ‘Transparent’ tasting room.

Curtis Krouzel and Sheri-Lee Turner-Krouzel invite you to try their internationally-awarded Pinot Noir and aromatic white wines. You’ll come for the wine but you’ll stay for the atmosphere. Be sure to check out their Unparalleled Club that let’s members enjoy the greatest selection of wines available in their cellar including library selections, limited and rare releases, and the opportunity to book your allocation of future vintages before their release.