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.
Impact of Giving to KGH Foundation in 2018
This year more than ever, I find myself feeling a level of unprecedented gratitude to be a part of a community that cares so deeply about the welfare of others.
Digital media menace
Is screen time affecting children’s mental and physical well-being? Does technology use impact elementary, middle and high school students differently? These questions are behind an extensive research project led by two UBCO professors.
Cellar Talk: Winter 2018
As seen in [downloads ids="156027" columns="1"][downloads category="bc-wine-awards" columns="1" number="1"] Judgement of BC Okanagan winemakers were put to the test this fall as 12 BC wines faced-off against 12 global benchmarks. Taking top...
Beautiful blends
Even a blend of one or two percent can make a significant difference in wine, says sommelier Mike Lee.
Volunteers keeping the slopes safe at Apex Mountain Resort
The red, white and black uniforms stand out against the white slopes of Apex Mountain Resort as the ski patrol sets out for their day.
Paralympic snowboarding competition returns to Big White
The world’s best para-snowboard athletes will take to the slopes of Big White Ski Resort from February 3-8, 2019. Canada Snowboard, in association with BC Snowboard and Big White Ski Resort, is excited to announce the return of the World Para Snowboard World Cup.
