January – February 2023
Explore Canada is a program that aims to make you ‘export-ready’, confident and excited about finding new representation in Canada.
The program will begin with a series of briefings for you to gain a better understanding of our key Canadian markets. You will hear from key monopoly buyers, importers/agents, on-premise, and private retail panels. Each of these briefings aims to give you a foundational understanding of the key Canadian markets in which you are looking to do business and the various channels within them.
The second part of the program will be focused on marketing communications to our extensive network of Canadian importers and agents. Weekly emails will spotlight all of the Explore Canada wineries through regional or thematic groupings, encouraging agents to click through to engage with your CONNECT profile pages.
While Explore Canada aims to give wineries the tools and knowledge to find representation in Canada, participation does not guarantee that wineries will find representation.
Market Briefings
Canada – Market Overview
A general overview of the national market, big 3 provinces and differences in regulations, demographics, consumer habits and trends in each key market.
LCBO Briefing
An update from the LCBO buying team in Ontario on the state of the Australian category, how to do business with the LCBO and an outlook for the category moving forward.
BCLDB Briefing
An update from the BCLDB buying team in British Columbia on the state of the Australian category, how to do business with the BCLDB and an outlook for the category moving forward.
SAQ Briefing
SAQ Briefing- An update from the SAQ buying team in Quebec on the state of the Australian category, how to do business with the SAQ and an outlook for the category moving forward.
Importer Briefing
A panel briefing including one importer per key market, to give on-the-ground insights, knowledge and expertise from the agent community. Panellists will speak to their specific markets, opportunities for Australian wines, tips and tricks for finding the right representation. Panellists will be selected to showcase perspective from both large, small, local and national agencies.
On-Premise Briefing
A panel briefing including one trade contact per key market, to give local insights, knowledge, perspective on the on-premise channel across Canada’s key markets. The panel will discuss how on-premise changed during the pandemic, what about Australian wine excites them, as well as their outlook for the channel moving forward.
Private Retailer Briefing
A panel briefing including three retailers from Western Canada, to give insights and expertise from Western Canada’s unique private retail channel. Panellists will speak to the intricacies of working within the channel, current trends and opportunities for Australian wine moving forward.
NEW for Explore Canada 2023
New to market tastings for agents and importers in the key markets of Ontario and British Columbia. Participation is only open to Explore Canada wineries, and further details will be shared during the Market Overview briefing that kicks off the program.
Further information for South Australian and Western Australian wineries
Twenty spots in Explore Canada 2023 will be funded 100% through a partnership with South Australia's Department for Trade and Investment. To find out if you're eligible for this funding, please review the eligibility requirements.
Four spots in Explore Canada 2023 will be funded 50% by Wines of Western Australia. This opportunity is available to wineries from Western Australia on a first come, first served basis, by completing the registration form.
Registration
Registration for Explore 2022-23 is now open.
- UK – register by 30 October 2022
- Canada – register by 2 December 2022
- Europe – register by 3 February 2023
The cost is AUD $1900 ex-GST per winery* for each region.
*A virtual expo space (winery profile) on CONNECT is included in the program cost, through June 2023.
Criteria for participating in Explore 2022-23
- Wineries should have an export licence and exporter ID.
- Wineries should be new to the market. If you have current distribution in the region and are looking to change, please let us know so that we can tailor the communications accordingly and it not be a surprise to the current importer.
- Wineries can be of any size and offer brands, bottled, bulk and buyers own branded wines. Formats can include alternative packaging such as cans and kegs.
- Wineries should have a strong story and commercial offering. A strong commercial website is preferable, with relevant imagery and additional information.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
For wineries seeking distribution in Canada, the Explore program will make you ‘export ready’ for the Canadian market. Participating wineries will receive market readiness briefings, insights and targeted marketing to key customers (importers and agents).
Explore Canada 2023 registration is open now and until December 2. The cost is $1,900 AUD per winery. 20 spots in Explore Canada 2023 will be funded 100% through a partnership with South Australia’s Department for Trade and Investment. To find out if you’re eligible for this funding, please review the eligibility requirements on the website.
No. The cost for an expo space (winery profile) on Australian Wine CONNECT is included in the program cost. The Explore program will be marketing your brand to agents and importers through our virtual Australian Wine CONNECT platform. We will be driving agents and importers to your virtual expo space to learn more about your brand, wines and set up appointments.
No. This program offers you insights and market knowledge to be business ready and will promote your brand to interested agents and importers, who will then reach out to set up appointments through Australian Wine CONNECT. If they would like to receive samples, we can provide guidance on the process but the costs and logistics for shipping samples are not included in the program fee.
The Explore program will prepare you to be business ready in the Canadian market, with briefings on how to go to market, pricing strategy, category performance and opportunities so that you can tailor your message for appointments with customers. It will also offer targeted marketing to our extensive network of agents and importers, encouraging them to browse the brands in the program and book appointments to learn more.
No. We will be driving agents and importers to your virtual expo space on Australian Wine CONNECT to learn more about your brand, wines and to set up appointments. We will not be providing direct introductions or setting up meetings for you, and due to privacy regulations we will not be sharing contact details for agents and importers.
Explore Canada will run in January - February, with market briefings beginning in mid January, and marketing to agents and importers from late January to the end of February. The Explore Canada Curated Collection will be live on the CONNECT platform for January – March 2023, to enable importers and agents to browse and discover the participating wineries.
Yes, a CONNECT exhibitor can receive one free spot for one of the Explore programs. Please contact connect@wineaustralia.com for more information.
For questions about Explore Canada, please contact annie.dingwall@wineaustralia.com.