Industry News – New York Wine & Grape Foundation

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Announces 2023 Unity Award Nominations Process

New York Wine & Grape Foundation November 8, 2022

NYWGF is pleased to provide our community with the opportunity to recognize the champions among us once again. You are invited to submit your nominations for the 2023 Unity Awards. The Unity Awards were created in 1990 to recognize, encourage, and celebrate cooperation among grape growers, wineries, researchers, retailers, and others to advance the entire industry. Our industry has a rich history of working and succeeding together despite facing a

New York Wine & Grape Foundation and Advance Local Events Partner to Elevate B.E.V. NY Conference

New York Wine & Grape Foundation October 30, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Advance Local Events to elevate the B.E.V. NY wine and grape industry conference in 2023.  The three-day B.E.V. NY event, presented by NYWGF, Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS) Finger Lakes Grape Program and the Enology Extension Laboratory, will be held from March 28-30, 2023, at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown in Syracuse, NY. This year’s conference is focused on

B.E.V. NY 2023: Making, Measuring, and Marketing New York Wine

New York Wine & Grape Foundation October 25, 2022

There is no doubt that the craft of wine growing, and wine making has been romanticized as a mysterious art that can capture the beauty and essence of a region in a bottle. While that may be true, it is also a serious business. That fact has become more apparent as shifts in wine consumption in the United States are significantly impacting our industry. Consumer spending and travel patterns, interest

New York Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification Enrollment Open Now

New York Wine & Grape Foundation October 11, 2022

The New York Sustainable Winegrowing program is excited to announce that applications are now open for the Vineyard Certification process. Following the success of our pilot in 2022, the program is now open to all wineries in New York. The NYWGF Sustainable Winegrowing program provides a pathway to voluntary third-party certification that verifies vineyards are using the best practices to ensure environmental, social, and economic sustainability of New York Wine.

Billsboro Winery Celebrates 15th Anniversary

New York Wine & Grape Foundation September 25, 2022

Billsboro Winery is celebrating its 15th anniversary under the ownership of Kim and Vinny Aliperti. The Aliperti’s purchased the property in 2007 from Bob and Jennifer Pool, who founded Billsboro as Geneva’s first bonded winery back in 2000. “I’ll never forget the morning Jen called to ask if we were interested in buying the winery,” recounts Kim, manager of operations, “the minute I told Vinny about their proposition he quickly

New Research Reveals the Top Cultural Wine Barriers and Opportunities for Hispanic and African American Consumers

New York Wine & Grape Foundation September 22, 2022

Napa, California – September 22, 2022 – The Wine Market Council (https://winemarketcouncil.com) announces the release of its latest Multicultural Study produced in conjunction with research firm EthniFacts LLC revealing the top cultural barriers and opportunities to wine consumption of Hispanic and African American consumers. From their wine journey and wine preferences to shopping behaviors, the qualitative study reinforces the need for authentic cross-cultural marketing and community efforts to target these

The Empire State is making waves – Wine Folly Releases New York Wine Region Guide

New York Wine & Grape Foundation September 13, 2022

Wine Folly, the leading digital wine education platform, has announced the launch of the New York State Wine Region Guide, the first comprehensive digital guide to the New York wine region. This 9th wine region guide showcases the state of New York with over 400 wineries. All participating wineries are now directly benefiting from Wine Folly’s consumer reach of over 20 million wine consumers globally. 3500 wineries have been featured

Expanding the range of rapid analysis approaches to semi-polar volatiles and non-volatile precursors in grapes

New York Wine & Grape Foundation September 9, 2022

Targeted measurements of volatiles or volatile precursors in grapes are useful for grape and wine quality evaluation, but these analyses are typically slow, and routine fee-for-service analyses are typically prohibitively expensive. Our group has previously demonstrated that sorbent sheets (SPMESH) could be used for rapid extraction of non-polar odorants from sample headspace. In the past year, we evaluated two novel extensions of SPMESH to make it more appropriate for analysis

New York Wine Reference Guide Cover Image

Updated “New York Wine Reference Guide” Shares the Facts, Figures, and Stories of New York’s Grape Growers and Wineries

New York Wine & Grape Foundation August 23, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is pleased to announce the culmination of a revision to the New York Wine Course & Reference Guide. Today, NYWGF introduces a refreshed and modernized New York Wine Reference Guide, along with accompanying infographics and videos. We are tremendously grateful to the dozens of grape growers, winemakers, winery owners, and researchers from across New York state who contributed the information that makes the

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Announces 2023 Research Themes

New York Wine & Grape Foundation August 19, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation Research Committee is working to enhance the quality, focus and transparency of the annual research program funded by the Foundation. Towards that end, the committee is now seeking additional review and comment from industry members so that we may finalize the proposed research themes and use those themes to solicit and select research proposals for funding in 2023. The proposed research theme areas

Increasing the Reliability / Scope of NEWA Weather and Pest Model Information 2021-2022

New York Wine & Grape Foundation August 12, 2022

Grape growers face the risk each season of their vineyards being attacked by insects and diseases whose severity is dependent on the current season’s weather conditions. This results in growers needing to modify their vineyard IPM strategy on a yearly, monthly and, sometimes, daily basis. This has resulted in a critical need for a portion of a technician’s time to be devoted to installing, monitoring and maintaining the weather network

Productive Vines Aren’t Necessarily Ones That Yield the Most Grapes, Wine & Grape Researcher Strives for Balance

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves August 5, 2022

The story of wine grape-growing in New York is one of trial and error. When colonists attempted to plant the Vinifera vines they brought from Europe, the vines failed to thrive in the different climate and soils. Early New York settlers had no choice but to make wine from native grapes. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that researchers discovered that grafting Vinifera vines onto native American grape rootstocks made it

Identifying Clean Nursery Stocks for a Sustainable New York Viticulture

New York Wine & Grape Foundation July 22, 2022

Viruses can be major threats to a profitable and sustainable viticulture by reducing vine growth, fruit yield and quality, as well as by limiting the productive lifespan of vineyards. Viruses are primarily transmitted by vegetative propagation and grafting, although some of them can secondarily be transmitted by insect vectors in vineyard settings. The proposed project is designed to collaborate with local nurserymen on the production of virus-tested, clean grapevine stocks

Wine Folly to Launch New York Region Guide with Support from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, Long Island Wine Council, and Discover Long Island

New York Wine & Grape Foundation July 19, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF), Long Island Wine Council, and Discover Long Island are pleased to announce a partnership designed to support the launch of a Wine Folly New York State Region Guide this Fall. A highly regarded global resource on the topic of wine, Wine Folly welcomes over 20 million users to their website each year. “Wine Folly is an educational, fun, and user-friendly resource used

Tim Martinson Invested in the Future for All of Us

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves July 7, 2022

It’s easy to focus on the bad news. Climate change has made headlines in recent years like never before, perhaps due to the fact that so many of us are witnessing the real-life consequences of extreme weather on a daily basis. In recent months, we’ve learned that we’ve broken multiple global indicators of the climate crisis, with temperatures that humans cannot survive for extended periods registering in India and Pakistan.

New York Wine and Grape Foundation Releases Annual Report for the 2021-2022 State Fiscal Year

New York Wine & Grape Foundation June 28, 2022

We are pleased to share with you the New York Wine and Grape Foundation’s Annual Report for the 2021-2022 State Fiscal Year. The Annual Report provides a summary of the Foundation’s operations and accomplishments during the fiscal year. The report also includes information on the amount of funding designated for applied research and the types of research conducted; and the amount of funding designated for promotion, and the effectiveness of

Kelby James Russell, winemaker at Red Newt Cellars. Standing in cellar with glass of red wine.

A Hometown Winemaker’s Pride Shines Global Spotlight on New York

Kelby James Russell, Winemaker, Red Newt Cellars June 24, 2022

Kelby James Russell, Winemaker, Red Newt Cellars(Photo by Rima Brindamour) There are many different ways to think about what our purpose as a winery might be: selling wine and sustaining business, stewardship of the vineyard lands, or the character of the wine itself in the bottle. But the longer I work in wine, the more I feel that this world is about people. It is the connections from the wine

Cornell AgriTech to Celebrate 140th Anniversary with Open House

Cornell AgriTech June 17, 2022

Geneva, NY – Cornell AgriTech, a preeminent center for food and agricultural research, will celebrate its 140thanniversary by opening its doors to the public on Aug. 13 from 10am. to 3pm. The open house will showcase the campus’ impact on New York’s food and agricultural industries. Audiences of all ages are invited to enjoy a variety of interactive science related activities at the event to learn about the important role

About the USDA Emergency Relief Program (ERP)

DeAnna Darling - Crop Growers, LLP June 8, 2022

The Emergency Relief Program (ERP) is an initiative of the Extending Government Funding and Delivery Emergency Assistance Act which President Biden signed into law on September 30th, 2021. Phase 1 of the program has kicked off as of May 25th, 2022 when letters were sent to affected producers who may be eligible to receive funding from the program. If a producer received an indemnity from a crop insurance policy or

New York’s Bounty of Food and Beverages on Full Display at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago

Laura Winter Falk June 7, 2022

Nothing like a 15-foot tower piercing the airspace in the American Food Fair pavilion in the North Hall of Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention center to clearly project the message of Boldly, N.Y. at this year’s National Restaurant Show. For four action-packed days, New York’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, Apple Association, Cider Association, and NYWGF featured wines, ciders, apples, cheeses, and yogurts all showcased together in what many said was

New York Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification Pilot Program Successfully Concludes; Available Position and Next Steps Announced

New York Wine & Grape Foundation May 27, 2022

PENN YAN NY, May 27, 2022 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) recently announced successful completion of the New York Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification pilot program. Thirty-five grape growers and wineries from across New York State completed a vineyard self-assessment using VineBalance 2022, and subsequently passed an independent verification process completed by a third-party vineyard inspector. Pilot program participants, and future grower or winery who successfully

The State of Biodynamics in New York Wine

Valerie Kathawala May 23, 2022

(Edited May 31, 2022) In parts of the wine world, biodynamic viticulture has become the gold standard for farming grapes and achieving terroir expression in wine. In New York, that is not — yet — the case. Most growers across the state still regard biodynamics warily or dismiss it as irreconcilable with the region’s climate, structure, and labor constraints. Their apprehension may at first be difficult to understand. But getting

Whitney Beaman announces departure from role as NYWGF Sustainability Manager

New York Wine & Grape Foundation May 17, 2022

It is bittersweet that I announce my resignation from the role of Sustainability Program Manager at the New York Wine & Grape Foundation at the end of this month. It has been a life-changing experience to work with grape growers across the state on this important mission, which I have dedicated much of my career to. For those of you who do not know me well, my time in the

Pilot Program for Sustainable Vineyard Certification is a Success!

New York Wine & Grape Foundation May 13, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of a pilot program for VineBalance sustainable vineyard certification. Participating grape growers from across New York State performed a vineyard self-assessment using the VineBalance 2022 workbook followed by a third-party inspection from a NYWGF Vineyard Inspector. Growers evaluated their vineyard sustainability against 144 action items addressing input reduction, soil health, water protection, resources and waste,

7 Must-Have POS Features For Your Winery

Arryved Point of Sale May 11, 2022

If you’re in the business of running a winery, chances are you require a robust point of sale (POS) system to support your day-to-day tasting room operations. There are a lot of options out there available, so it’s key to hone in on the essentials. We’ve compiled this list of 7 features to look for when considering a POS system for your winery: 1. Easy To Use Are you wasting

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Announces New Partnership Designed to Raise the Profile of New York Wines in Canada

New York Wine & Grape Foundation May 10, 2022

PENN YAN NY, May 11th, 2022 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce the appointment of a.m.c.c., led by Andrea Backstrom and Melissa Stunden, as the market representative for New York wines in Canada beginning July 1st, 2022. a.m.c.c. will help identify appropriate trade partners for New York wines and work to further develop a network of agents, buyers, sommeliers, educators, and influencers to

How Robert Ketchin, Despite Long Odds, Created a Market for New York Wine in Canada

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves May 9, 2022

Finding a niche for unfamiliar wine in a large market is a Sisyphean, largely unheralded, task. Given the choice between two similarly priced items, one of which is a known entity, and the other of which they’ve never heard of, most consumers—whether they’re shopping for lawn equipment or Riesling—are going to opt for the one they’ve heard of. Robert Ketchin has been honored by the New York Wine & Grape

Waterloo Container is more than just bottles; It is time to think about the box!

Waterloo Container May 9, 2022

Your outer packaging says something about your wine before your customers taste the wine! Look around your winery and see what your customers see. Are there plain cases of wine sitting in plain sight of your visitors? The corrugated boxes your wine bottles are packaged in should be considered almost as important as the primary bottle you fill. Boxes have prime marketing space and can be artfully paired with your

Videos Increase Sales

ClearMix May 3, 2022

The pandemic catapulted e-commerce sales and marketing. And wine, beer and spirit sales are no exception. The January 2022 study published by Rabobank suggests that online sales in this category doubled from pre-pandemic levels. Online sales will be the biggest driver of growth in the industry for years to come. US direct to consumer wine sales now represent 23% of the $7.2 billion industry. Grocery stores, mass merchants, alcoholic beverages

NYWGF launches grant program to support marketing and educational needs of wineries, growers, and related promotional entities.

New York Wine & Grape Foundation April 28, 2022

Each year NYWGF develops an annual schedule of domestic and international marketing activities designed to promote the world-class image of New York grapes and wines from our diverse regions to responsibly benefit farmers, producers, and consumers. Funded by a mix of state, federal, and local entities, these marketing activities, along with a slate of educational and business development resources, are intended to significantly impact NYWGF’s mission goals and further the

Saperica Inc, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery & trendy chama mama restaurant from NYC present the 1st annual Saperavi Festival in the Finger Lakes region of New York

Saperica Inc April 22, 2022

Hammondsport, New York – Saperica Inc, is pleased to announce that the 1st annual Saperavi Festival will take place at Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in Hammondsport, New York on Saturday, May 14, 2022.The festival will bring together producers of Saperavi and Rkatsiteli wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York along with their counterparts from the country of Georgia. Authentic Georgian cuisine with a modern twist will be featured

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Seeking Applications for Board of Directors

New York Wine & Grape Foundation April 13, 2022

Every May the New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) Board of Directors meets to elect members of the industry to board seats with expiring terms. The term of office for directors is three years and there are currently 21 members of the Board of Directors. Thirteen (13) board seats are statutorily mandated by the law that created NYWGF in 1985, and there are eight (8) at large board seats. NYWGF aims

the rak family from left abram adam dennis and sue at their vineyard in fredonia new york chautauqua county

In Demand: Virus-Free Certification Creates a Business Buzz at Double A Vineyards

Tim Bigham, Courtesy of New York Farm Bureau Grassroots April 7, 2022

Dennis Rak of Double A Vineyards, Inc. in Fredonia has quite a few irons in the fire. As the name implies, the business consists of grape acreage. But the business is much more than that. Dennis prides himself on producing vines that are certified virus-free. This includes grape vines but also berry and hop plants. Dennis owns the business with his wife Sue and sons, Adam and Abram. Double A

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Partners with Born Collective to Embark on Boldly, NY. Global Brand Expansion

New York Wine & Grape Foundation April 5, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Valerie Venezia-Ross Phone: 1 (518) 229-3765 Email: valerieross@nywgf.org PENN YAN NY, April 5, 2022 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Born Collective designed to expand global recognition of the New York wine and grape industry, as well as the Boldly, NY. brand. This partnership marks the highly anticipated next phase of NYWGF’s global messaging project. New York

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Unity Awards Announced, Winners to be Honored at B.E.V. NY Conference

New York Wine & Grape Foundation March 28, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce the winners of the prestigious 2022 Unity Awards. The Unity Awards were created in 1990 as a way for the community to recognize, encourage, and celebrate cooperation among grape growers, wineries, researchers, retailers, and others to advance the entire industry. Honoring the longstanding and bold spirit of our community members and their numerous achievements, NYWGF is proud to continue the 30-year tradition of celebrating industry leaders and champions.

EPA Seeking Comments on Proposed Registration Changes for Ziram, Iprodione (Roval)

New York Wine & Grape Foundation March 9, 2022

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting official comments about the re-registration and usage of two fungicide materials commonly utilized by grape growers in New York State, Ziram and Iodiprone (trade name Rovral). Growers in New York typically utilize Ziram for diseases such as downy mildew and black rot, with Rovral utilized for Botrytis management. EPA regularly solicits comments from the public before making registration decisions. Should you have input

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Partners with Vineyard Inspectors for Sustainability Pilot Program

New York Wine & Grape Foundation March 8, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a partnership with two Vineyard Inspectors for the Sustainability Pilot Program: Tim Martinson and Chris King. Tim Martinson’s wealth of knowledge and depth of perspective from leading the original VineBalance workbook project combined with his 9 years as an Area Extension Educator with the Finger Lakes Grape Program and 14 years as a Senior Extension Associate for the Statewide Viticulture

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Seeks Canadian Market Representative.

New York Wine & Grape Foundation March 7, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) has been a longtime partner of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), providing marketing services for New York wineries interested in exporting their products to international markets. The NYWGF staff, Board Committee, In-Market Consultants, and Export Advisory Committee (industry members) execute the strategy and activities for the Export Program annually. To deliver more effective and streamlined programming, NYWGF is outsourcing various marketing

VineBalance 2022: Version 2 Released

New York Wine & Grape Foundation February 14, 2022

The NYWGF is pleased to announce the release of Version 2 of VineBalance 2022 as the latest edition of New York’s statewide code of sustainable winegrowing. “I am humbled by the generous the contributions of time and knowledge that the New York wine community have dedicated to Version 2 of VineBalance 2022” said Sustainability Program Manager, Whitney Beaman. Version 2 of VineBalance 2022 was reviewed, workshopped, and revised through a

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Announces 2022 Unity Award Nominations Process

New York Wine & Grape Foundation February 7, 2022

The Unity Awards are back! This year during the B.E.V NY Virtual Conference, the New York Wine & Grape Foundation will revive our 32-year old tradition of honoring community leaders for their distinguished contributions to the New York wine and grape industry. Supporting each other and being a part of a strong community is more important than ever before. During one of the most challenging times in recent history, our

Cornell Study Finds the Potential in Grape Pomace

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves February 4, 2022

Headline-writers love to tout the healthiness of red wine. Here’s how it goes: a scientific study about a specific food compound — such as flavonoids — gets published. The findings support that the compound has health benefits. That compound happens to be found in red wine, as well as many other foods. But we all know that lifestyle publications often lead with the red wine information in the headline. It makes sense

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Seeks Sustainable Vineyard Inspector for Pilot Program

New York Wine & Grape Foundation January 14, 2022

In order to support the next phase of our Sustainability Program in 2022, NYWGF is developing a third-party certification for sustainably grown grapes and wine. The basis for this certification will be a grower self-assessment followed by third-party verification according to the latest edition of VineBalance, a workbook that addresses input reduction, soil health, water protection, energy conservation, resources and waste, ecosystem health, climate resiliency, continuous improvement, and social equity.

NYWGF Releases Revised Global Messaging RFP

New York Wine & Grape Foundation January 10, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation would like to thank those who showed interest in this important project! In response to the myriad of questions and proposals that were submitted during the initial request for proposals, we are re-issuing the Global Messaging RFP to provide further clarity on deliverables, examples of expected assets and their use, and a revised budget and timeline to align with NYWGF’s and the successful

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Partners with Born Collective on Sustainability Marketing Plan

New York Wine & Grape Foundation December 14, 2021

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Born Collective to develop a marketing plan for the emergent third-party certification for sustainably-grown grapes and wine in New York. Born Collective is a strategic branding agency with an affinity for storytelling and a fervor for audience experience. b+cause is the nonprofit arm of Born Collective, dedicated to providing outstanding, full-service marketing to organizations that exist to make our communities and our world better. “At Born Collective, sustainability

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Partners with Crush Wine Experiences on B.E.V. NY Conference and New York Wine Classic Awards Events

New York Wine & Grape Foundation December 7, 2021

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Crush Wine Experiences to elevate the B.E.V. NY Conference and New York Wine Classic Awards Ceremony in 2022. To accomplish its mission and meet industry need, NYWGF leads important educational and promotional events each year. Scheduled to take place from March 29th, 2022, through March 31st, 2022, B.E.V. NY is the annual grape and wine conference presented by NYWGF, Cornell’s Finger Lakes Grape Program and the Enology Extension Laboratory. B.E.V. NY will be a hybrid event, with March 29th being held in-person (Rochester, NY) and virtually, and the subsequent days being held virtually.

New York Wine & Grape Foundation issues RFP for 2022 Grape and Wine Research

New York Wine & Grape Foundation December 6, 2021

For 35 years, NYWGF has annually distributed funds to projects that provide the New York State wine and grape industry with short-term solutions and long-term strategic directions. Click here to explore previously funded projects.

The Research Committee of the Board of Directors now welcomes new proposals for 2022. Proposals will be due by January 24th, 2022.

‘Going Electric’: Is the Wine Industry’s eCommerce Revolution Finally Here?

GrapeIn December 3, 2021

With eCommerce, the wine & spirit industry has been trying to go Electric for at least a quarter century. But only until the pandemic has eCommerce really gained traction in the US, where DtC sales skyrocketed for obvious reasons – according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, online alcohol consumer sales in the US increased a mind-boggling 80% in 2019-2020.

Revised Timeline & FAQs for Global Messaging RFP

New York Wine & Grape Foundation November 17, 2021

NYWGF would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming interest in our recent Global Messaging RFP. We have compiled and consolidated them all, to the best of our ability, in this document. We encourage you to read it thoroughly before submitting your response. Please note, as this document did take longer than expected to complete, NYWGF has pushed back the proposal deadline to November 29th, 2021.

VineBalance 2022 Virtual Workshop Series Announced

New York Wine & Grape Foundation November 9, 2021

Join Chris Serra, a leading expert in sustainable winegrowing certification, as we workshop a selection of new objectives introduced in the VineBalance 2022 update. Growers are invited to practice scoring their vineyard operations anonymously and ask questions as we move through key action items in the Ecosystem Health, Climate Resiliency, and Social Equity chapters of the latest version of the VineBalance workbook. Ecosystem Health – Tuesday, November 30th from 4:00 to

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Partners with Dan Belmont, Proprietor of ‘Good Wine x Good People’, to Update New York Wine Course & Reference Guide

New York Wine & Grape Foundation November 2, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Valerie Venezia-RossPhone: 1 (518) 229-3765Email: valerieross@nywgf.org PENN YAN NY, November 2, 2021 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a new, creative partnership with wine educator Dan Belmont to update and reimagine the New York Course & Reference Guide. New York wines are now available in markets across the United States and throughout the international markets of Canada, Europe, and