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.
Celebrating 30 Years
The great part about anniversaries is taking time to reflect. Delving into our magazine archives, we once again came face to face with the passionate people who strengthen our communities and the creative artists who fill the Valley with art, song and laughter.
Okanagan residents win prizes for water conservation
The Okanagan WaterWise program has wrapped up its valley-wide outdoor residential water conservation campaign Make Water Work for another year with the awarding of prizes. There were three winners this year, one each in the North, Central and South Okanagan.
Okanagan spirits craft distillery mixoff 2018
Bartenders to wow the public with their creations for the 2018 Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery Mixoff Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery is once again showcasing the Okanagan’s cocktail culture to the public with the Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery Mixoff, November...
Wines of BC against the world in fourth annual judgement of BC
The Wines of British Columbia were put to the ultimate test at the fourth annual Judgment of BC on October 24, pitting 12 BC wines against 12 acknowledged global benchmarks. BC's Poplar Grove Winery The Legacy 2014 BC VQA Okanagan Valley ranked first among the flight...
Women in Leadership Event
Kelowna's leading women talk changing culture, equality and gratitude When: 7 p.m. Thursday, October 25, 2018 Where: Rotary Centre for the Arts Admission: Free or by donation at the door Third Space Life Charity* and the UBCO School of Nursing present a panel...
Making your own kind of music
What better way to celebrate three decades of Okanagan Life than printing a 30th-anniversary issue and penning a new musical libretto?
Regular readers of Okanagan Life will know that I go to great lengths to boast about, sell its advantages and invite all to visit our renowned Valley, which is humbly known as one of the prettiest, happiest and adventurous places—and what better locale to place my cast of musical characters?
