50th Parallel Estate Winery has evolved into one of British Columbia’s most complete wine destinations, combining internationally awarded wines, refined hospitality, and one of the Okanagan’s most acclaimed winery restaurants, Block One. Founded by Curtis Krouzel and Sheri-Lee Turner-Krouzel, the estate sits just 20 minutes from Kelowna International Airport and 15 minutes from Sparkling Hill Resort and Predator Ridge, making it as accessible as it is aspirational.
Curtis and Sheri-Lee represent a new generation of BC winegrowers—hands-on, design-driven, and unapologetically modern. Sheri-Lee famously calls it “Glamour Farming”: “We farm in our glasses and our sparkly nails and sometimes our heels,” she says, perfectly capturing the estate’s blend of precision viticulture and polished presentation.
From a wine-tourism perspective, the location is ideal. The winery is a short, scenic drive from both Kelowna and Vernon, with seasonal shuttle service from the Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan in Kelowna and Sparkling Hill Resort, making it an easy anchor stop for visitors exploring Lake Country.
The estate itself was built deliberately and organically. In 2009, the couple hand-planted the first 10 acres of vines. Curtis later engineered a custom planting machine designed for the site’s steep, rocky terrain, allowing the vineyard to expand to more than 50 acres. The first wines—just 700 cases—were released in 2011. By 2016, production had grown to nearly 14,000 cases, reflecting both rising demand and growing confidence in the site. The main winery facility opened in phases beginning with the 2014 harvest, followed by the debut of Block One in 2018, completing the estate’s transformation into a benchmark BC wine destination.
The 50th Parallel Team
The Co-Owners
Curtis Krouzel is a first-generation Canadian born in Winnipeg to Czech and Slovak parents with a scarce blue bloodline to some great Austrian winemaking families. Curtis was raised in Edmonton before coming to Calgary in 1997 and starting an oil and gas design engineering company.
Sheri-Lee Turner-Krouzel is also a highly successful entrepreneur with a Bachelor of Commerce in marketing and a track record of building successful businesses in media, marketing, and fitness.
The Winemaker
Winemaker Matthew Fortuna has been with 50th Parallel since 2013 and shares the same infectious passion for Pinot Noir. He is a graduate of the winemaker program at Okanagan College. Prior to this tenure, he served as an assistant at Quail’s Gate Estate Winery. In addition, Matt worked overseas in the Mornington Peninsula with Dr. Richard McIntyre at Moorooduc Estates, a legendary Pinot Noir producer in Australia.
Matt has set his sights on elevating the vineyards’ product quality 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 into using his new state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery to produce some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir.
Matt provided the following thoughts on why Lake Country is so well suited for award-winning Pinot Noir.
“As for my thoughts on growing Pinot Noir in lake country, I believe our site has some great viticultural advantages that suit Pinot Noir nicely. Its definitely a combination of several factors, soil, light, and climate.
Our proximity to the lake has two major influences that suit Pinot well, it moderates temperature, while still providing ripening capabilities through a mirror like light reflection. We have two main soil types that allow for the complexity of expressing differences in one varietal, finer clay soils for fruit expression, and coaser sandy loam soils for texture, intesity and depth.
And our climate seems to be a few degrees cooler than the south, and even Kelowna in some years, which again, keeps things cooler and slower for a longer hanging time, allowing for phenolic ripeness without pushing sugars too high.”
Matthew Fortuna
BLOCK ONE
Block One at 50th Parallel is where glamour farming meets fine dining, perched above Lake Okanagan with a panoramic view that’s almost as seductive as their Pinot Noir and sparkling wines. This sleek Lake Country estate doesn’t just grow grapes — it cultivates experiences, pairing elegant plates with bubbles to die for and a view that’s pure postcard. 🥂🌅
For our shared appetizer, we selected the Grilled Octopus and Spicy Chorizo. The Octopus was cooked to perfection using the Sous Vide technique. It was then grilled and accompanied by patatas bravas, spiced tomato, caramelized fennel, aioli, and scallions.
Sous vide (under vacuum) cooking utilizes precise temperature control with circulation to produce results that you can’t achieve through any other cooking technique. When using traditional methods of cooking, you don’t have control over heat and temperature. Food ends up overcooked on the outside, with only a small portion in the centre cooked to the temperature you want.
The 5-Star appetizer pairs naturally with the 2018 50th Parallel Estate Riesling.
For the main course, we both selected Crispy Steelhead Trout with confit fingerling potato, cherry heirloom tomatoes from the estate greenhouse, lemon & tarragon cream and trout roe.
The trout pairs delightfully with the 50th Parallel Estate Rose 2018.
Our next visit to BLOCK ONE was for Happy Hour to enjoy the oysters.
We loved the new glamorous Chandeliers. What’s next? Persian rugs to cover the concrete floors?
If you love fine food be sure to make a BLOCK ONE reservation at OpenTable.
For more information on the winery and its excellent BC wines go to BLOCK ONE at 50th Parallel Estate Winery.
The Executive Chef at 50th Parallel Estate and BLOCK ONE Restaurant is Ryan Harney. Ryan has worked in the culinary industry for decades and honed his talent while working in the Okanagan, Caribbean, Ireland and Vancouver Island before returning to his hometown of Lake Country.
The Vineyard
The 61-acre property is a sun-bathed slope stretching down to the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake. Since 2009 41 acres were planted with Pinot Noir and the remainder is Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay.
Harvest 2019
The 2019 growing season had its challenges, but those don’t always translate into comprised wine quality. We are Pinot Noir growers, so we are battling botrytis from the get-go, assuming it will show itself if not properly managed.
We work our canopies and spray programs to avoid worst-case scenarios. That being said, if you escape the disease pressure you were still most likely dealing with the potential for under ripeness. Or so is the concern while picking! In the end, the result was lower alcohol wines, balanced by naturally lower acidity, and bright with ripe fruit flavours.
I feel optimistic about the Pinot Noir resting un-sulphured in our cold cave, waiting for spring MLF. I think the trend for Pinot is moving away slightly from the big, robust style, and more toward a delicate and nuanced style, exactly what a cooler year like 2019 has forced upon us. If we gauge by what the aromatic whites just bottled are showing us, it is exactly that. The flavours are expressive and bright, the alcohol and acidity naturally balanced.
The Wines
50th Parallel Pinot Gris 2024 ($25)
Crafted from Washington-grown fruit and vinified at 50th Parallel, the wine undergoes a combination of stainless-steel fermentation for freshness and 20% neutral-barrel fermentation with short lees aging for added texture and aromatic complexity.
A beautifully expressive Pinot Gris with aromas of mandarin, ripe apple, golden honey, and delicate honeysuckle. The palate is soft and rounded, offering flavours of candied apple, orange peel, and a touch of honeyed richness, balanced by a bright citrus lift on the finish. 91 Points
Elegant, refreshing, and subtly layered — a polished Gris ideal for seafood, soft cheeses, and lightly spiced dishes. 14% alc. 4 g/L RS.
50th Parallel Estate Glamour Farming Pétillant
12.5% Alcohol. The nose is elegant and inviting with floral aromas interlaced with hints of citrus. The palate is bright and lively with delicate suggestions of grapefruit. Brisk and refreshing, like a cool coastal breeze. The wine is made by the Charmat Method.
The Charmat Method also referred to as ‘Metodo Italiano’, is the process where the wine undergoes first or secondary fermentation in large pressurised stainless-steel tanks rather than individual bottles and is bottled under pressure in a continuous process. The process was first studied by the Italian enologist Federico Martinotti and patented in 1907 by French winemaker Eugene Charmat.
50th Parallel Releases for 2020
50th Parallel Estate Chardonnay 2018
Pale golden hue. A lightly oak buttery beauty that should be opened 30 minutes before drinking.
Aromas of ripe pineapple and toasted oak. Flavours of Anjou pear, baked apple, vanilla, key lime and a hint of caramel. A rich and full mouthfeel. 92 Points.
The Chardonnay paired perfectly with BBQ Halibut and Tarragon.
The 2016 vintage won a Gold medal and the 2018 vintage won a Silver at the Chardonnay Du Monde 2020.
50th Parallel Estate Rosé 2019
An impressive salmon hue. Aromas of wild strawberries and floral notes. On the palate, ripe strawberries, watermelon, rhubarb and pink grapefruit with a hint of minerality. A dry, crisp and juicy Pinot Noir Rosé. 91 Points
50th Parallel Estate Blanc de Noir 2017
What a fantastic sparkling wine. The excitement starts when you pop the cork!
This cuvée is made traditional ‘Methode Champenoise’ using the premium estate Pinot Noir clones 115 and 777, from Block 1.
A gorgeous pale salmon hue. Aromas of fresh strawberries, rose petal and earthy mushroom. Full of luscious butterscotch, ripe apple, and baked pear flavours with a hint of earthy bread. A creamy mousse, dry and refreshing. 93+ Points.
50th Parallel Gewürztraminer 2019
This is an Alsace off-dry style but with enough body and acidity to balance the aromatics.
The wine has the classic aromas of lychee, kiwi, gooseberry and rose petals.
Meyer lemon to passionfruit to more lychee floods the palate. Your taste buds are excited by the acidity. 91 Points
50th Parallel Estate Pinot Noir 2017
Blackberry red hue. This is a bold pinot at 14.5% alcohol. Aromas of violets, cherries, tobacco, sage, rosemary and forest floor.
Flavours of strawberry, black cherry, dark chocolate, leather and spice. The acid level complements the higher alcohol content. Full mouthfeel and bold long finish. 92 Points
For the complete selection of 50th Parallel Estate BC wines, please visit the winery website.
References
Note: Updated December 2025.