The culmination of a lifetime of winemaking

Don Triggs, co-founder of Jackson-Triggs winery and a pioneer in developing Ontario’s wine industry, just couldn’t stay retired

I always wondered where Don Triggs, one of the giants in the development of the modern Ontario wine industry, wound up.

He founded as a partner the giant Jackson-Triggs winery and also pioneered their work in B.C. making wines.

Memorable was his guidance in founding Nk’Mip winery in the Okanagan Valley, where an aboriginal band is making stunningly delicious wines.

And there he was suddenly, climbing my front stairs, lugging a bag of his wines from his own winery in Oliver, B.C.

At a young-hearted 71, his hair a shock of white, he says he departed JacksonTriggs the day after the company was sold in June 2006. He founded his winery, Culmina, after failing to be able to retire. The land was bought in 2007, 56 acres, with vineyards on mountain slopes.

One of our top luxury reds in the current Vintages release is Triggs’ Hypothesis, a red blend of merlot, cab sauv and cab franc from select micro blocks of vines.

It’s a super red, fully reviewed with bottle image here, sculpted by their winemaker, Pascal Madevon.

Triggs also makes super whites, a delicious Decora (dry riesling), Unicus (gruner veltliner) and Dilemma (chardonnay), all only available at the winery in B.C.

It was great catching up on life with a dude who thrives on not stopping.

Shifting gears, one of the top-rated wines in this release is a French white, Le Vins de Vienne 2012 Condrieu (#414466, $48.95, 92+) from the Rhône region.

Condrieu is a village where viognier is the star.

To buy a Condrieu means you are buying viognier. The grape was near extinction, all in Condrieu, until the Rhône rangers in California made it thrive in California, then it wildfired into the south of France.

This original Condrieu has a medley of peach, lemongrass, nectarine, lime peel and clover blossoms. I served it with foie gras a friend brought the other day and the match was a stunner.

Clover blossoms are the signature aroma. I learned the smell looking for fourleaf clovers as a child and viognier from around the world now features this lilting aroma.