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.
Kitchen Confidential with Todd Laidlaw of True Grain Bakery
Baking up a storm with heritage wheat
Retail Real Estate Revolution
Okanagan developers are reviving urban centres with a mix of workplaces, greenspaces and lofty living.
Protecting the Okanagan lakefront landscape
Living along the shoreline of Okanagan Lake is exquisite. Keeping shores natural can enhance property value, protect water resources and preserve the beautiful vistas for everyone’s enjoyment and benefit.
Axe throwing in the Okanagan
Hurling axes on your birthday
In person with Linda Edgecombe
For Linda Edgecombe it’s one scarf, one book, one girl
Think B4 U text, says UBC research
Study evaluates texting as a poor way to deliver criticism Many think they’re doing a favour by texting criticism instead of giving it in person. Not so, say researchers at UBC Okanagan’s campus who have determined that negative comments can have the same impact...
