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.
Bookshelf: Author David Allen & more
Kelowna author and illustrator David Allen will be at Wentworth Music for a reading, lullaby sharing and book signing of his newly released pre-school children’s book, A Song for Swinging.
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet performs in Vernon
The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre proudly presents the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet on Tuesday, November 14 2017 at 7:30pm. The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s threefold vision – top global choreographers, distractive groundbreaking repertoire, and virtuoso dancers – is...
Watch BC play in opening draw of 2018 Scotties
Curling fever is picking up in the South Okanagan. Fans now have more options to watch the world’s most famous women’s curling event. New ticket packages are now on sale, giving fans more flexibility to take in the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship: the 2018...
United Way needs your help tackling the growing needs of the community
The United Way CSO campaign is well underway and since the kickoff breakfast in September has been gaining steam. In order to support the needs of the community, United Way is asking for your help to make a difference in the lives of kids, families, and seniors....
$30,000 to support small business in the Okanagan
Local business owner Paul Byrne, publisher of Okanagan Life magazine, is supporting small business with a $30,000 giveaway to mark his 30th year in publishing. “Okanagan Life would not have reached this milestone without our readers and the support of local...
Fizz-tastic: The many expressions of the grapes of Champagne
The green Chardonnay grapes bounce down the sorting table and up into the crusher. It’s the first vintage at Penticton’s new urban winery, Time, and these grapes are destined for sparkling wine. Chardonnay grapes originate in the Champagne region of...
