We're Not All Fitzpatricks,
But We're All Family
HON. D. ROSS FITZPATRICK, OBC, LLD
CHAIRMAN
A real life Canadian Senator. Born and raised in the Okanagan. Spent his teen years working in fruit packing houses and orchards up and down the valley. UBC grad. Post-grad at University of Maryland and Columbia University. A career that took him away from the valley to Ottawa, Vancouver, the US and around the world. Aerospace. Oil and gas. Mining. Wine brought him home in 1986 to found CedarCreek Estate Winery with his wife Linda to pioneer a new kind of agriculture in the Valley. Awards too numerous to list.
Thirty seconds with Ross
You can have two tickets to anywhere in the world. You’re going to...
Rick’s American Café in Casablanca, Morocco.
Red or white? Which varietal?
Both. Red – Pinot Noir. White – Chardonnay – not too much oak.
If I have friends visiting to the Okanagan, I always tell them to...
Visit Myra Canyon Trestles.
Best advice I ever received...
It was from my mother, "Build castles in the sky and pursue them."
LINDA FITZPATRICK
treasurer
Treasurer of Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards and The Fitzpatrick Group of Companies. Former Treasurer of CedarCreek Estate Winery, and former Chairperson of Medallion Wine Marketing Inc. Linda has been involved in a number of community organizations including Past Director Mount Saint Joseph’s Hospital, and past Chairman ENDEAVOUR. She assisted with the organization of the spousal program for APEC 1997 as well as fundraising events for St. Paul’s hospital. She and her husband have served as honourary chairs of the 1996 Molson Indy Gala, Alzheimer Society of BC Gala Evening, Kelowna General Hospital’s Heart of Gold Gala, Evergreen in support of the Rotary Centre for Arts, and the Canadian Cancer Society Gala of Hope.
Thirty seconds with Linda
You can have two tickets anywhere in the world. You're going to...
Casablanca with my husband, Ross.
My first job and the one thing I learned from it.
Part-time while in high school, I washed baking pans and cleaned up the kitchen of a bakery. I learned there has to be something better than this.
If I have frends visiting the Okanagan, I always tell them to...
Visit Kelowna's hidden gem, Kasugai Japanese Garden, located near city hall, after they've visited the wineries, of course.
Best advice I ever received.
To think of others before myself.
Vancouver kid. Transplanted Okanagan-ian. Played rugby at UBC but strangely doesn’t have the nose to prove it. Worked for a future Prime Minister. Spent 10 years in mining (gold!). Came to the Okanagan in 1996 to run CedarCreek Estate Winery. Refused to leave. Former Chair of the BC Wine Institute. Always wanted to run a bar. So we have one. You can have two tickets to anywhere in the world. You’re going to... My first job and the one thing I learned from it... France or Italy? If I had to drink a sparkling that wasn’t Fitz, I’d pick…GORDON FITZPATRICK
PRESIDENT
Thirty seconds with Gordon
The Grand Slam ATP Tour; Laver Arena in Melbourne, Roland Garros in Paris, Wimbledon in London and finally Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
Special Assistant to Rt. Honourable Jean Chrétien: “Where there is a will; there is a way and if all else fails use your sense of humour.”
France. A three month sabatical in the South of France.
Tattinger – although I have 2 special bottles of Bollinger waiting to be popped.
SARAH BAIN
WINEMAKER
Sarah began her path in the wine industry working in the vineyards of Central Otago, New Zealand in 2004. It was just a summer job to start, but it only took one vintage to convince her that growing and making wine was her future. Since then, her career has been based mainly in Central Otago at two leading organic and biodynamic producers. She worked first at Burn Cottage making premium quality Pinot Noir and then at Quartz Reef, one of New Zealand’s leading producers of Traditional Method sparkling. Sarah has also worked vintages in California, Germany and Canada. And now again, in Canada.
You can have two tickets to anywhere in the world. You’re going to...
Alaska & Patagonia
My first job and the one thing I learned from it...
Picking Raspberries – don’t eat too much as you go!
France or Italy?
Italy
If I have friends visiting to the Okanagan, I always tell them to...
Go explore the cliffs in Skaha Bluffs. Hike to the top and see the views of both Skaha and Okanagan Lakes.
Best advice I ever received...
Life’s short… Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Kirsten earned a Diploma of Wine & Food while working at Saltram Estate Winery in Barossa Valley, Australia. She has a Degree in Business Marketing from Melbourne and has completed her WSET Advanced Certificate. Kirsten worked at Winestyle, a specialist online wine retailer, and as the wine buyer/sommelier at La Luna Bistro. Upon returning to Canada, Kirsten worked for the Wine Umbrella in Vancouver, the BC Wine Institute in Kelowna as Marketing Co-ordinator and at Painted Rock Estate Winery before setting up her own consulting business. And now she works with us! You can have two tickets to anywhere in the world. You’re going to... Red or white? Which varietal? My first job and the one thing I learned from it... If it’s happy hour, I’m having... Best advice I ever received...Kirsten Munro
Hospitality Director
Thirty seconds with Kirsten
Croatia.
Both. Chardonnay for white, Pinot Noir for red.
Orange Julius, don’t drink too many!
Sparkling wine or a lime margarita on the rocks.
Never say you can’t.
ANN MARIE MUSS
CORPORATE SECRETARY & ADMINISTRATOR
Originally from Vancouver. And originally worked in the area of corporate and securities law. Finds wine a little less...corporate? Proud mom. Responsible for almost everything related to the business and administrative requirements of Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards and the Fitzpatrick Group of Companies. Which keeps her very, very busy. Which is also how she likes it.
Thirty seconds with Ann Marie
You can have two tickets to anywhere in the world. You’re going to...
I’ve always wanted to visit the South Pacific. So, Tahiti.
My first job and the one thing I learned from it...
Lots of babysitting … Patience.
If I have friends visiting to the Okanagan, I always tell them to...
Visit our winery…ok, also check out the great beaches up and down the valley.
If I had to drink a sparkling that wasn’t Fitz, I’d pick…
Hopefully I won’t have to! If I did…Cava - reminds me of Barcelona!
Best advice I ever received...
Never assume anything and always be prepared.
Merle Lawrence is entering his 30th growing season with us, which makes him very knowledgeable about our vineyard, the soil and pretty well everything that goes on around here. Like the bear that sleeps in a tree just past the Gewürztraminer block. He lives on-site and is no stranger to the oasis the vineyard offers . You can have two tickets to anywhere in the world. You’re going to... My first job and the one thing I learned from it... France or Italy? Best advice I ever received...MERLE LAWRENCE
VINEYARD MANAGER
Thirty seconds with Merle
Australia/New Zealand.
I was 14 years old, cutting lawns on our street. All about commitment and pride in accomplishment.
Italy.
It was from my Dad! Show respect to your elders, employers and work hard.
BRANDON LAWRENCE
Assistant Winemaker and Assistant Vineyard Manager
Brandon has always been very familiar with Greata Ranch, having spent his summers growing up helping his dad, Merle, tend to the vines. His career in wine started out rather unsuspectingly though. Brandon completed his BSc in Kinesiology from the University of Victoria, and was in the process of applying to Physio school when he came to help out for Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards first harvest in 2016. He hasn't looked back since and joined the team full time in 2017. He earned his certificate in Enology and Viticulture in 2018 and he recently spent a harvest season working in New Zealand. These days you can find him doing all kinds of vineyard and cellar work, with his best bud, Kai, by his side.
THIRTY SECONDS WITH BRANDON
You have two tickets to anyone in the world. You're going to...
New Zealand
Red or White? Which varietal?
Sparkling. My favourite Fitz is the Blanc de Noir 2015
My first job and one thing I learned from it...
Vineyard worker - every detail matters
Best advice I ever recieved...
Dance like nobody's watching. Or... You don't have to love your job 100% of the time, but you do have to love the life you live outside of work.