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.
What was your property worth on July 1?
British Columbia's real estate market has seen continued activity in 2017 with residential and commercial property values showing growth in most areas. 2018 property assessment values will reflect what was happening around BC Assessment's uniform valuation date of...
UBC announces $100-million fundraising campaign to help students
https://www.youtube.com/embed/GELZafmvB30 UBC Okanagan is embarking on the largest fundraising campaign for students in its 12-year history. The Blue & Gold Campaign for Students aims to raise $100 million across both UBC campuses over three years to give...
Penticton volunteers number tops 300 as city opens its hearts to Canada’s top women curlers
The City of Penticton is opening its heart to Canada’s top women curlers and fans for the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, scheduled for Jan. 27-Feb. 4 at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton. The host committee announced today that the number of...
New year brings new part-time viticulture courses to Okanagan
While wine lovers will have to wait months – if not years – to sip and savour 2018 Okanagan vintages, 2018 is poised to be a very good year right from the start for anyone looking to learn the art and science of grape growing in the region. Three new part-time...
Okanagan curlers aiming for Olympics
Hurry and cheer hard for the home team during the 2017 Roar of the Rings. Curlers John Morris and his Vernon rink – including Jim Cotter, second stone Catlin Schneider and lead Tyrel Griffith – will be throwing stones in Ottawa Dec. 2 to 10 in hopes of making the 2018...
Culinary Championships announce 2018 competing chefs
As Canadian Olympic athletes make final preparations to take on the world at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, eleven chefs prepare for the the 2018 Canadian Culinary Championships. The chefs, who won gold in their regional qualifier competition across...
