The Canadian wine industry said farewell in October to Allan Jackson, co-founder of Jackson-Triggs and one of the builders of Canada’s modern wine identity. The brand that began with just two wines, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, has grown into a national symbol of quality, with wineries on Niagara Peninsula and in the Okanagan Valley.
Jackson’s connection to the Okanagan stretched back nearly five decades. “It has been my home away from home since the 1980s,” he said. “The association started back in 1977. At that time, John Labatt, where I was responsible for research and quality control for the company’s Canadian wine division [Ridout Wines], bought Casabello Wines in Penticton.” That purchase marked the start of a lifelong bond with the valley’s growers.
In 1989, Jackson joined forces with his friend and colleague Donald Triggs to lead a management buyout of Labatt’s Canadian wine holdings for about $16 million.
The deal created Vincor International, which grew into one of the country’s largest wine companies and laid the foundation for the Jackson-Triggs brand (1993.)
Recognition soon followed. In 2006, Constellation Brands purchased Vincor for $1.52 billion. That same year, the 2004 Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Shiraz Grand Reserve was named Best Shiraz in the World at the International Wine and Spirit Competition, the first Canadian red wine to be recognized by the IWSC.
A decade later, Constellation sold its Canadian holdings to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for about $1.03 billion. The company rebranded as Arterra Wines Canada.
"Thirty years ago, when Jackson-Triggs was started, there was a huge focus on high quality and affordability," says current winemaker Philip Brown. “We’re meticulous with the vineyards we’re selecting here in Canada, honing in on our vineyard selection and our harvest dates, and making sure that the fruit coming in is of exceptional quality."
Visitors today can still raise a glass to Jackson’s legacy at the Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate in Niagara-on-the-Lake or stop by the Cellar Door, a newly revitalized South Okanagan wine shop on Tucelnuit Drive in Oliver, B.C. where more than 100 VQA wines under the Arterra portfolio reflect the craftsmanship and collaboration he championed throughout his career.
Watch the webcast of the service.
Timeline
1960s – Casabello Wines Ltd. founded in Penticton, one of B.C.’s earliest commercial wineries.
1977 – John Labatt Ltd. acquires Casabello Wines, marking its entry into the Canadian wine industry.
1989 – Don Triggs and Allan Jackson purchase Labatt’s wine division, Ridout Wines, and establish Vincor International Inc.
1993 – Launch of the Jackson-Triggs brand under Vincor.
2006 – Constellation Brands acquires Vincor International.
2016 – Constellation Brands sells its Canadian wine business to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, which rebrands it as Arterra Wines Canada