The wine that led Francesca Cavasin to pursue a career in wine wasn’t from her home in Italy. It was Marlborough Sauvignon blanc. From vineyard work in New Zealand to studying in Conegliano, where Romeo Bragato once studied, her career has been full of interesting twists and turns, and has now come full circle with her current role as Research Winemaker at Bragato Research Institute.

Francesca grew up in the province of Treviso in northern Italy. Her parents owned a plant and flower nursery and grew Radicchio di Treviso, a traditional local vegetable, and surprisingly, kiwifruit. “I spent my childhood surrounded by plants and agriculture, which gave me a good understanding of how plants grow.”

When she was 17, Francesca travelled to New Zealand through an exchange programme and spent a few months living on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast. “What was initially intended to be a short exchange ended up having a huge influence on my life.” She fell in love with New Zealand, the openness of people, the balance between work and life, and the practical and collaborative approach to solving problems. She left knowing she would return one day.

Five years later, she got her chance and returned on a working holiday visa. She took a job working in a vineyard, as “Working with vines felt like a natural fit given my agricultural background.”  Despite growing up in one of Italy’s major wine regions, she admits that she wasn’t particularly interested in wine. However, spending weekends exploring Marlborough wineries and Sauvignon blanc slowly changed her mind. She decided the wine industry was where she wanted to build her career, so she chose to return to Italy to study viticulture and winemaking.

“Looking back, Marlborough Sauvignon blanc was probably the wine that made me fall in love with wine. Despite growing up in one of Italy’s most famous wine regions, it was weekends spent visiting wineries around Marlborough that gradually convinced me this was the industry I wanted to work in.”

Francesca completed a bachelor’s degree in Viticulture and Oenological Science at the University of Padova’s campus in Conegliano, graduating in July 2020 with the highest honours. “Studying in Conegliano now feels particularly special because it is home to Italy’s oldest school of viticulture and oenology and was also where Romeo Bragato studied.” She then completed a master’s degree in Viticulture, Oenology and Wine Marketing, specialising in New Frontiers in Viticulture and Oenology. “The programme is jointly delivered by the Universities of Udine, Padova, Verona and Bolzano, and allowed me to study in some of Italy’s most important wine regions.” Her first year was based in Conegliano and the second in San Pietro in Cariano, in the heart of the Valpolicella region.

Initially Francesca thought she would return to vineyard management, but during an Erasmus semester at Plumpton College in England, she completed her first vintage at Ridgeview Winery and fell in love with the other side of the industry. From then on, she spent every vintage she could in wineries, including other experiences in England, France, Italy, New Zealand and Luxembourg. After finishing her master’s degree, she returned to New Zealand almost immediately. “In fact, less than a week after my graduation ceremony in Italy, I was back in Marlborough starting as Assistant Winemaker and Laboratory Supervisor at Hillersden Winery, progressing to Head Winemaker, before joining BRI.

As Research Winemaker at BRI, Francesca designs and runs winemaking trials that address practical questions facing the wine industry. The role combines hands-on winemaking, experimental design, data collection, analysis and reporting, and involves working closely with researchers and industry partners to translate research into practical outcomes for wineries. What she enjoys most about running winery trials is the chance to investigate questions that don’t yet have answers. “I love testing ideas, collecting data, challenging assumptions and discovering something new.”

Francesca’s interest in research developed during my master’s degree, and she enjoys knowing that the outcomes can contribute to the wider New Zealand wine industry rather than benefiting a single company. “Being able to stay connected to practical winemaking while contributing to something bigger is probably the most rewarding part of the role.”

Although Marlborough Sauvignon blanc sparked her interest in wine, Riesling is now her favourite variety. She’s also developed a strong interest in disease-resistant grape varieties, which is why she chose to work a harvest at Domaine Sunnen-Hoffmann in Luxembourg, due to the winery’s extensive work with them.

If you are interested in discussing a trial idea with Francesca, get in touch at winery@bri.co.nz.