Canada has a new multi-million dollar research cluster for wine.

Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay popped the cork Wednesday during a visit to the Huebel Grape Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The $8.4 million in research funding over five years is jointly funded by the federal government and the provinces under the five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership framework, which launched in April.

The new research network will be called the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN). It’s the first time such a research partnership has existed within the grape and wine industries.

An additional $3.7 million has been pledged from industry. The research, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said in a release, will focus on ways to “help growers better protect their crops, test new vine varieties, and analyze growing practices in Canadian vineyards that are better for the environment.”

In a statement, MacAulay said he was “thrilled” with the news. “Our domestic grape and wine sector has had a positive impact on Canada’s economy, and it continues to grow,” he said in a statement.

“Today’s announcement will help increase the market share of Canadian wines by supporting research that improves wine quality and vineyard management practices, addresses challenges faced by the sector, and build upon Canada’s international reputation as a top cool-climate wine producer.”

In addition to the inaugural research cluster, MacAulay has also promised some $1.5 million in marketing money over three years for the The Canadian Vintners Association. Those funds, the department said, will be used to help facilitate trips to trade shows and increase promotions in export markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.

Wednesday’s announcement also comes just months after the federal government said it was joining forces with British Columbia to study the feasibility of a B.C. Wine Centre of Excellence. The two-phase $75,000 feasibility study is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2018.

If constructed, the centre would be a “platform for wine and tourism education for B.C.’s wine industry, while helping visitors learn more about our unique wine-growing regions, as well as the wine-making process,” Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said in an April release.

In 2016, Canada’s wine industry generated revenues of $1.2 billion and employed more than 5,600 people, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said.