Retirement is not an option for Donald Triggs, a key player in the blossoming of Canada’s modern wine industry and co-owner of soon-to-be launched Culmina Family Estate Winery.
A native of rural Manitoba, representing the sixth generation on the family farm, Don left the nest to complete a degree in agriculture from the University of Manitoba and an MBA at Western. He started his career in Ontario doing sales and marketing with Colgate Palmolive. In 1972 he moved to John Labatt’s wine division where his experience ranged from fixing troubled sectors of winery operations to running large wine producers in Canada and abroad.
In the hope of staying in Canada with his family, Don joined Fisions PLC based in Vancouver, taking their troubled North American horticultural division from money loser to industry leader. With the 1989 North American Free Trade Agreement around the corner, Don risked everything. He joined forces with Alan Jackson and former Labatt colleagues who pooled their life savings to buy the brewer’s wine division.
Renamed Vincor International with Don as CEO, it grew to become the biggest wine enterprise in Canada and seventh largest in the world. When Constellation Brands US acquired Vincor in 2006, Don resigned and set out to build Culmina with wife Elaine as partner and daughter Sara as sales and marketing manager.
Don has lured Bordeaux-trained Pascal Madevon (formerly winemaker at Osoyoos Larose) to the promising scenario at Culmina.
Read more of the original stories celebrated in our 30th-anniversary issue.
UBCO: Community Engagement
A highly-popular presentation from a celebrity Canadian astronaut. A well-attended public festival at Kelowna’s downtown park. A project using art to generate knowledge and interest in endangered native bees. An award-winning author’s talk dispelling the mysteries of...
GOOD LIFE: Taster’s Choice Okanagan Falls
Showcasing a varied selection of grape varieties and wine styles produced by Okanagan Falls Wineries. The five star rating system stressed the value for price (pre-tax). Stag's Hollow 2013 Tempranillo Okanadan Falls, Okanagan Valley 1/2 $25.99 Produced from fruit...
Okanagan College receives $250,000 from The Joyce Foundation for trades bursaries
A major gift from The Joyce Foundation will soon open doors to education and help make dreams a reality for scores of current and future students at Okanagan College. The $250,000 donation will be used to create entrance bursaries and augment existing financial aid...
The Canadian Culinary Championships set for February
Kelowna, home of The Canadian Culinary Championships is set to host award-winning Chefs from across Canada for a weekend-long “Celebration of Canadian Excellence” from February 5-6, 2016 as part of the illustrious Gold Medal Plates. Kelowna’s Gold Medal Plates...
Shopping Through the Generations
Are you a bargain shopping Boomer or a search savvy Millennial when it comes to shopping? Perhaps you’re more in line with a Gen Xer who buys what they like, or a brand loyal shopper from the Silent generation. We interviewed people up and down the Okanagan Valley to...
Mckinley Beach: Life at the Beach
McKinley Beach Above the one-kilometre beachfront at the waterfront community of McKinley Beach the contemporary architecture of modern homes is set in balance with the natural beauty of the Okanagan hillside. Constructed to a sustainable standard, designs call for a...
