Celebrating 10 Years of Culmina

“Wine touches us in so many ways; as non-permanent residents of an ever-changing planet, as farmers, as students of bio-diversity, as winemakers… and as consumers….

The wonder of wine is the wonder of life itself.”

– Donald Triggs, Founder of Culmina

As we reflect on a decade of wine making on the spectacular Golden Mile, we are eager to look back on our journey and how far we have come.

Please allow us to share with you a few key moments in the history of Culmina Family Estate Winery:

• 2007: After over a year of searching, an ideal southeast facing site located in BC’s first sub-appellation is selected and purchased.
• 2007-2009: Under the guidance of Bordeaux’s Alain Sutre, extensive site research is conducted, including temperature and soil pit analysis, soil mapping, and micro block mapping. Vineyard development begins with the removal and onsite reuse of 3500 tons of rocks. Soils are fertilized, posts and irrigation are installed, cover crops and eventually vines are planted in our 38-acre vineyard, “Arise Bench”, which is home to most of our red Bordeaux varietals. Learn more about this process here.
• 2011: Our first vintage of our flagship Bordeaux-style blend, Hypothesis is produced, for release upon the opening of the estate in 2013.
• 2011: At a staggering 595 metres above sea level, our high elevation “Margaret’s Bench" vineyard is planted. It becomes home to Riesling, Chardonnay, and the Okanagan’s first ever Grüner Veltliner.
• 2013: Our third and most diverse vineyard, “Stan’s Bench” is planted with Chardonnay, Riesling, Viognier, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Learn more about our vineyards here.
• 2013: The first vintage for our iconic Grüner Veltliner, Unicus. An Austrian varietal, Grüner has found ideal growing conditions in the cool, silty soils of Margaret’s Bench. Unicus has quickly become a favourite among lovers of Culmina, and has garnered critical acclaim globally, having received four gold medals - one of which being at the presitigious Decanter World Wine Awards in London, UK.
• 2013: Culmina Family Estate Winery opens the doors of its tasting room for business.
• 2016: Vigneron and winemaker Jean-Marc Enixon joins the Culmina team. Born and raised in Bordeaux, Jean-Marc is classically trained and has offered a unique perspective on winemaking in the Okanagan, providing a juxtaposition between New and Old-World styles and furthering the Culmina vision.
• 2019: Having a decades long history with the Triggs family, Arterra Wines Canada acquires Culmina and it becomes their second luxury estate in Western Canada.
• 2021: After starting the transition to organic farming in 2018, Culmina is pleased to be awarded organic certification from PACS in August.
• 2021: Our team is delighted to receive critical acclaim for two of our red wines - 96 points for Hypothesis 2016 at the invitation only Global Fine Wine Challenge in Australia and 94 Points for Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, earning a coveted Platinum Medal at WineAlign NWAC.
• 2023: Culmina celebrates its 10th Anniversary. Join us for a very special celebration on September 10th. Get your tickets here!

It is hard to find the words to express our gratitude for the support of our amazing team, courageous leadership and most of all, our fellow lovers of Culmina. Here’s to another 10!