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.
Ursula Surtees
Spring 1995 Since moving to the Okanagan as a young war bride in the 1940s and becoming the first curator of the Kelowna Centennial Museum in 1969, Ursula has designed hands-on school programs that are emulated across the country, written books, developed summer art...
Tyler, David and Organ Transplants in Children
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Winter 1997 Scott Parker One of the tests for a hockey player with NHL ambitions is life on the bus. Here is our diary of one road trip. I’m the first (at the bus). It isn’t long before the peace is disturbed by the gradual arrival of players, most carrying pillows,...
Stockwell vs Clark
Spring 1997 David Stockwell is British Columbia’s most famous voter—the Kelowna man who would have Premier Glen Clark impeached. Stockwell has become Clark’s nemesis. In front of the cameras, the premier scoffs at the case. Laughing, he dismisses Stockwell as though...
Kelowna chef takes home $10,000
Paul Moran won the inaugural Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship competition, held at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, BC on October 27. The 26-year-old from Kelowna withstood the heat of the kitchen to beat nine other finalists to win a $10,000 cash...
Micro bar to officially open in downtown Kelowna
Co-owners Audrey Surrao and Chef Rod Butters (voted Best Chef by the readers of Okanagan Life) are thrilled to announce the long awaited opening of micro bar • bites in downtown Kelowna on Saturday, November 2nd at 3:00 pm. With their freshly issued license in hand,...
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