Bragato Research Institute
Bragato Research Institute leads quality research and innovation that enables the New Zealand wine industry to thrive — from blue sky research to the practical application of science in our vineyards and wineries. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of New Zealand Winegrowers, the national industry body for growers and wineries.
With offices in New Zealand’s largest wine region, Marlborough, and the agriculture research hub of Lincoln, we deliver research and innovation on behalf of wineries and grape growers across New Zealand.
Facilities
Our state-of-the-art Research Winery is based at the Marlborough Research Centre in Blenheim. With 92 custom 200L tanks, we undertake hundreds of winemaking trials for industry research and commercial clients each year. Located next to Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and other research businesses, the winery helps connect students to science and the wine industry.
Our Grapevine Improvement Molecular Laboratory and Breeding Vineyard is based in Lincoln, Canterbury. The Grapevine Improvement team run our Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 programme, as well as several other grapevine projects and services. Sharing an office with Bioeconomy Science Institute and nearby to Lincoln University, the location allows BRI to collaborate with other researchers and the university.
Funding
BRI has three funding streams: New Zealand Winegrowers’ levy, government, and commercial. These work in tandem and enable BRI to leverage levy contributions through strategic partnerships and co-investment, thereby extending its reach and meaning it can deliver outcomes beyond what could be achieved through levy funding alone.
Levy funding
New Zealand Winegrowers is a national organisation for the country’s growers and wineries. Established in March 2002, it is the only unified national winegrowers industry body in the world. New Zealand Winegrowers’ levy provides funding to support the New Zealand grape and wine industry to remain internationally competitive as the leading producer of premium quality wines. It also ensures BRI retains stable baseline funding and underpins BRI’s ability to leverage external co‑funding.
To find out more about New Zealand Winegrowers and the industry, visit nzwine.com.
Government co-funding
BRI applies for Government contestable funding for major research programmes. BRI currently has two programmes funded by MPI, including Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 and Next Generation Viticulture, which are typically structured as long-term, co-funded programmes.
In addition to levy investment and Government co-funding, individual wine businesses co‑invest in our major research programmes. The balance between levy, government and grantor investment varies by programme.
Commercial research services
BRI provides commercial services to New Zealand grape and wine producers and their suppliers. These services build on the types of research being performed at BRI, and currently include grapevine identification testing, nanopore sequencing, viticulture trials, and sensory services and winery trials within our state-of-the-art Research Winery. Commercial revenue is reinvested in industry research, providing another funding stream.
