Welcome to Episode 2550 of the Italian Wine Podcast. In this episode, Barbara Fitzgerald interviews Amy Liu, Senior Brand Manager at Mark Anthony Group, for a deep dive into the Canadian wine market. Together they break down how Canada’s monopoly system works, what smaller producers should know before entering the market, how category buyers operate across provinces, and the differences between the Canadian and U.S. markets. They also touch on regulations around advertising, discounts, quotas, and share examples of marketing campaigns that truly resonate.

Key Takeaways:

More about the guest: 

Amy Liu graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Psychology and Pre-Law. Throughout her career, she has worked with renowned brands, including White Claw, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Absolut, Miller Lite, Moët, L’Oréal, Lexus, and others. With over a decade of experience, Amy is currently a Senior Brand Manager at Mark Anthony Group, one of North America's fastest-growing beverage companies. In this role, she leads the strategy and execution for a portfolio of premium and innovative brands. She has lived in six countries and traveled to over 33. Her passion for travel is complemented by her enthusiasm for food and wine, and she has recently achieved her WSET 3 wine certification.

Connect:  

Website: https://markanthony.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/importedbubbly25/    

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliu5/ 

More about the host:

With a career of nearly two decades in the wine industry, Barbara Fitzgerald specializes in D2C marketing and business development. She's led roles from entry level to senior management, combining her extensive experience with data analysis, critical thinking and storytelling while driving revenue growth and brand recognition for California wineries. As a part of the 4th generation of an Italian-American family among the California wine industry pioneers, Barbara has spent her life around wine growing, production, marketing, distribution and hospitality. A Syracuse University graduate, she returned to California to gain diverse industry perspectives from a range of wineries.

As an Italian Wine Ambassador, she brings her expertise to the Italian wine market, known for its authenticity and consumer demand. Barbara now runs Apri La Creative Consulting, coaching wineries in Italy and the US to strategically develop their D2C channels in line with their brand values. Together with her husband, Barbara also owns and operates a boutique wine production company, and a small import company specializing in Italian wines to the US.

Connect:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbarajeanfitz/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-fitzgerald-iwa/

Website: https://www.aprilacreative.com/ 

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Until next time, Cin Cin!