New research projects to enable the wine industry to thrive
In March 2026, Bragato Research Institute opened its contestable funding round, inviting researchers and industry partners to submit proposals that will deliver meaningful benefits to…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 16, 2026
BRI Board: Powering wine research for New Zealand
By Sophie Preece Bragato Research Institute occupies “a unique space in the wine research ecosphere”, says outgoing board member James Dicey. BRI governance will…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 9, 2026
Bragato Research Institute launches Grower Trials initiative to promote hands-on vineyard research
BRI has launched a new Grower Trials initiative that places growers and viticulturists at the centre of the research process, focusing on answering applied research…
Sarah Rowley AdamsApril 29, 2026
Bragato Research Institute invites research proposals
Bragato Research Institute is pleased to open its 2026 contestable funding round, inviting researchers and industry partners to submit proposals that will deliver meaningful benefits…
Sarah Rowley AdamsMarch 3, 2026
New projects to help drive wine innovation
In July, BRI announced six projects selected through the 2025 invitation for research proposals. These projects represented a portion of the funding that was available…
Vianney SegedinSeptember 9, 2025
Latest projects set to drive wine innovation and circularity
In March, BRI invited researchers to submit expressions of interest to undertake new research projects. This year, research proposals were sought that focused on new…
Vianney SegedinJuly 9, 2025
Investigating alternative training systems to boost vineyard productivity – Vintage 2023 winemaking and sensory
Dr Paul Epee, Ngarita Warden, Dr Fang Gou, Bragato Research Institute The main goal in vineyard management is to grow high-quality grapes that make…
Vianney SegedinJune 3, 2025
An update on the Marlborough long-spur pruning trial in season four
Yuichi Ando, Bragato Research Institute In vineyards, the pursuit of more efficient growing systems is ongoing, often driven by advancements in machinery and the…
Vianney SegedinJune 1, 2025
Testing the performance of nanosulfur against powdery mildew in the field
Melanie Kah, Jon Dominic Habito and Nick Lewis, The University of Auckland Nanotechnology is a broad area of science focussed on engineering matter at…
Vianney SegedinApril 9, 2025
Central Otago Pinot Noir clonal trial
Ngarita Warden, Bragato Research Institute Pinot Noir is known to be prone to mutation, allowing the production of numerous Pinot Noir clones. Since there…
Vianney SegedinApril 9, 2025
New viticulture research programme to boost New Zealand vineyard productivity
Vineyard profitability is key to ensuring a thriving New Zealand wine industry. As costs continue to rise, producers must adapt and innovate to remain profitable.…
Sarah Rowley AdamsSeptember 30, 2024
6,000 new variants of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to help the wine industry adapt to a changing climate
New Zealand has 26,559 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc vines and due to the way grapes are propagated, the vast majority of these vines are genetically…
Sarah Rowley AdamsMay 2, 2023
Beyond Vineyard Ecosystems event to bridge science and sustainability in New Zealand vineyards
Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is bringing scientists and winegrowers together next month for a two-day conference, Beyond Vineyard Ecosystems, to share research-based approaches to sustainable…
Sarah Rowley AdamsAugust 26, 2022
Wine industry commences major research programme to protect and enhance New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is excited to announce today that through a partnership with the government, work has begun on its Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement…
BRI AdministratorDecember 10, 2021
BRI Research Winery celebrates 5 Green Star NZ rating
Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is delighted to announce that the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has awarded its Research Winery in Blenheim a 5…
BRI AdministratorNovember 26, 2021
Wine research boosts NZ economy $64.5M
Download a two-page summary by clicking here. Download the full report by clicking here. Bragato Research Institute (BRI) commissioned New Zealand Institute of Economic Research…
BRI AdministratorJune 30, 2020
From Environmental Data to Market Advantage; Planetary Facts for New Zealand Wine
Alice Oswald and Kate Meyer, The Planetary Accounting Network An Evolving Market The wine industry, like many others, is faced with increasing market and…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJanuary 7, 2026
Unleashing the power of data to benefit New Zealand winegrowing
Fang Gou, Paul Epee, Bragato Research Institute Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is at the forefront of viticulture and oenology research, leveraging the power of…
Sarah Rowley AdamsNovember 15, 2024
Sequencing New Zealand taonga
Bragato Research Institute installed an Oxford Nanopore PromethION Sequencer at our Grapevine Improvement Laboratory to characterise and understand genetic differences among grapevines. As this was…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 6, 2024
How ‘odd vines’ could help unlock resilience in the New Zealand wine industry
There are two factors that influence how a vine grows: its genetics and its environment. The Bragato Research Institute’s Grapevine Improvement Programme investigates the genetic…
Sarah Rowley AdamsNovember 28, 2023
Loveblock’s Sauvignon Blanc TEE
New Zealand winery Loveblock has created an innovative Sauvignon Blanc that uses a green tea tannin extract as a natural preservative. First created in 2019, Bragato…
Sarah Rowley AdamsNovember 21, 2023
The Bat 1K Project and Bragato Research Institute
Mystacina tuberculata. Colin O'Donnell, DOC. Bat1K is an initiative to sequence the genomes of all living bat species, approximately 1400 species in total. The…
Sarah Rowley AdamsOctober 31, 2023
Innovations in bulk wine shipping
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is an export success story, with the wine style loved around the world. Due to our distance from our export markets…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 24, 2026
Mothballing vs removal: vineyard decision guide
Mothball vs removal: vineyard decision guide Deciding whether to mothball a vineyard or remove its vines is a complex process. It requires balancing short-term needs…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 5, 2026
Same soil, same rootstock, twelve clones: the Central Otago Pinot Noir clonal trial
New Zealand’s most planted red variety is also one of its most site-sensitive, so the question for growers and winemakers has never been as simple…
Sarah Rowley AdamsMay 27, 2026
Helping vineyards manage rising fuel costs
BRI is developing practical resources to support growers in managing rising fuel costs affecting vineyards. Using data from the Carbon Calculator project, our latest factsheet…
Sarah Rowley AdamsApril 30, 2026
Long-term sheep integration into a vineyard through the High Wire trellising system
Matheo Boison, Institut Agro, Bragato Research Institute Vineyard, Sheep & Carbon Climate change is one of the most significant long-term challenges facing the wine…
Sarah Rowley AdamsApril 28, 2026
Season one viticulture results from the Next Generation Viticulture programme
Paul Epee, Ross Wise, Fang Gou, Yuichi Ando, Sarah Rowley Adams, Braden Crosby (Bragato Research Institute) The Next Generation Viticulture programme (NGV) aims to…
Sarah Rowley AdamsMarch 23, 2026
The SB2.0 legacy so far: a modern platform for grapevine improvement
While SB2.0’s headline goal is improved Sauvignon Blanc clones, NZW’s foundational genetics programme has already created long-lasting assets for the industry: new disease and virus…
Sarah Rowley AdamsMarch 23, 2026
Characterising and inhibiting Botrytis laccases
Annabel Whibley, Ngarita Warden (Bragato Research Institute), Wayne Patrick (Victoria University of Wellington) Bragato Research Institute (BRI) and Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) are…
Sarah Rowley AdamsFebruary 5, 2026
Breeding new hybrid grape varieties for New Zealand
Darrell Lizamore, Bragato Research Institute New Zealand Winegrowers and the Bragato Research Institute (BRI) have invested in the foundations of a modern grapevine improvement pipeline,…
Sarah Rowley AdamsFebruary 3, 2026
Rapid detection of fungicide-resistance in grapevine powdery mildew in New Zealand
Dr Yusmiati Liau, Bragato Research Institute The findings from this small research project indicate possible moderate resistance to key fungicide groups within some powdery mildew…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJanuary 27, 2026
From Environmental Data to Market Advantage; Planetary Facts for New Zealand Wine
Alice Oswald and Kate Meyer, The Planetary Accounting Network An Evolving Market The wine industry, like many others, is faced with increasing market and…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJanuary 7, 2026
Predicting the formation of calcium tartrate crystals in wine
Jack Muir and Ken Morison, University of Canterbury Calcium tartrate is one of the crystals that can form in wine and is considered undesirable…
Sarah Rowley AdamsNovember 17, 2025
High-value products derived from grape marc
Paul Kilmartin, University of Auckland; Tripti Singh, Scion - Bioeconomy Science Institute, and University of the Sunshine Coast In September 2023, a team of…
Sarah Rowley AdamsNovember 14, 2025
UV-C light as an alternative to fungicide for the control of grapevine powdery mildew in New Zealand vineyards
Dr Paul Epee, Chris Ireland, Dr Fang Gou, Robert Winup, Ross Wise MW – Bragato Research Institute The need for alternatives The side effects…
Sarah Rowley AdamsOctober 9, 2025
New projects to help drive wine innovation
In July, BRI announced six projects selected through the 2025 invitation for research proposals. These projects represented a portion of the funding that was available…
Vianney SegedinSeptember 9, 2025
Latest projects set to drive wine innovation and circularity
In March, BRI invited researchers to submit expressions of interest to undertake new research projects. This year, research proposals were sought that focused on new…
Vianney SegedinJuly 9, 2025
Investigating alternative training systems to boost vineyard productivity – Vintage 2023 winemaking and sensory
Dr Paul Epee, Ngarita Warden, Dr Fang Gou, Bragato Research Institute The main goal in vineyard management is to grow high-quality grapes that make…
Vianney SegedinJune 3, 2025
An update on the Marlborough long-spur pruning trial in season four
Yuichi Ando, Bragato Research Institute In vineyards, the pursuit of more efficient growing systems is ongoing, often driven by advancements in machinery and the…
Vianney SegedinJune 1, 2025
Testing the performance of nanosulfur against powdery mildew in the field
Melanie Kah, Jon Dominic Habito and Nick Lewis, The University of Auckland Nanotechnology is a broad area of science focussed on engineering matter at…
Vianney SegedinApril 9, 2025
Central Otago Pinot Noir clonal trial
Ngarita Warden, Bragato Research Institute Pinot Noir is known to be prone to mutation, allowing the production of numerous Pinot Noir clones. Since there…
Vianney SegedinApril 9, 2025
Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 – A Vision for Resilient Viticulture
Dr Darrell Lizamore, Bragato Research Institute Investing in emerging innovation can provide a unique opportunity to leapfrog current processes and harness new innovations. Consider…
Vianney SegedinMarch 25, 2025
Investigating alternative training systems to boost vineyard productivity – Flowering to harvest season 2022-23
Dr Paul Epee, Bragato Research Institute Rising costs of production, together with falling profitability, warranted investigation into the potential for a step change in…
Vianney SegedinFebruary 1, 2025
Molecular diagnostics to identify fungicide resistance in New Zealand vineyards
Dr Cen Liau, Research Associate – Grapevine Bioinformatics Battling fungicide resistance in vineyards Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator, is a persistent…
Vianney SegedinFebruary 1, 2025
Varietal diversification – Cool climate aromatic white wine produced in Marlborough
Ngarita Warden, Dr Paul Epee and Rhea Gaikwad, Bragato Research Institute Climate modelling by researchers at Lincoln University and Plant & Food Research forecast…
Vianney SegedinFebruary 1, 2025
UV light in vineyards to reduce fungicide dependence
Dr Paul Epee, Chris Ireland, Bragato Research Institute Broad-spectrum fungicide use is on the rise, posing serious risks to biodiversity in vineyards as fungicides kill…
Vianney SegedinDecember 3, 2024
Fermentation treatments and ageing effects on volatile sulfur compounds, varietal thiols, and other aroma compounds in Pinot Noir wines
Sukhpreet Gill, Rebecca C. Deed, Rebecca E. Jelley, Bruno Fedrizzi The generation of undesirable off-flavours during fermentation and wine ageing pose a challenge to…
Vianney SegedinDecember 1, 2024
Investigating alternative training systems to boost vineyard productivity – The pilot phase of the Next Generation Viticulture programme
Dr Paul Epee, Bragato Research Institute A pilot project paving the way for an innovative research programme The decline of winegrowing profitability, driven by…
Vianney SegedinDecember 1, 2024
Unleashing the power of data to benefit New Zealand winegrowing
Fang Gou, Paul Epee, Bragato Research Institute Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is at the forefront of viticulture and oenology research, leveraging the power of…
Sarah Rowley AdamsNovember 15, 2024
Improving and extending the productive life of grapevines affected by trunk disease using remedial surgery
Eline van Zijll de Jong, Linnaeus Limited, and Mark Sosnowski, South Australian Research and Development Institute What is grapevine trunk disease? When gaps begin…
Sarah Rowley AdamsOctober 31, 2024
Trichoderma for managing drought stress: A step forward in combating climate change
Dr Solomon Wante Introduction As climate change continues to impact wine regions in New Zealand and worldwide, grape production faces unprecedented challenges. As reported…
Sarah Rowley AdamsOctober 22, 2024
Water use efficiency of 11 rootstocks under deficit irrigation
Braden Crosby and Yuichi Ando, Bragato Research Institute Rootstocks are an essential component of grape growing in New Zealand. Rootstocks can influence vine performance, vine…
Sarah Rowley AdamsSeptember 20, 2024
Hitting the marc: turning grape marc into value with a novel engineering bioprocess
Shan Yi, Kai Xin Chia, Wei-Qin Zhuang, Brent Young University of Auckland Dr Shan Yi (right) and PhD student Kai Xin Chia The New Zealand…
Sarah Rowley AdamsAugust 26, 2024
New research projects to benefit the wine industry
In May, Bragato Research Institute invited researchers to submit Expressions of Interest to undertake new research projects with wide benefits for the New Zealand wine…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJuly 30, 2024
Building vineyard soil health
Dr Seth Laurenson, Soils & Sustainability Advisor, Bragato Research Institute Soil is the foundation of our industry, and maintaining soil health is a priority focus…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 26, 2024
Identifying downy and powdery mildew resistance in the clones produced in the Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 Programme using high-throughput phenotyping
Dr Bhanupratap Vanga, Bragato Research Institute The notorious fungal diseases downy and powdery mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola and Erysiphe necator respectively, significantly impact viticulture…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 5, 2024
Soil health management practices in New Zealand vineyards
What is soil health and why is it important? Soil is recognised for its influential role on both grape quantity and wine quality. While some…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 4, 2024
Long spur pruning as an alternative to cane pruning for Sauvignon blanc in Marlborough
Yuichi Ando, Bragato Research Institute The rise of vineyard and labour costs required for maintaining high-quality grape growing poses challenges to vineyard financial sustainability. In…
Sarah Rowley AdamsApril 29, 2024
Developing diagnostic devices for the wine industry
Daniel Mak, PhD candidate, University of Canterbury Wineries routinely monitor the changes in wine composition, particularly during fermentation when many biochemical reactions are taking place,…
Sarah Rowley AdamsApril 26, 2024
Green vibes in New Zealand Pinot noir: The impact of grape clusters and stems on wine quality and acceptability
Amalia Bernardes Borssato, Damir Dennis Torrico, Leandro Dias Araujo (Lincoln University) Amalia Borssato Changing the ratios of whole clusters and stem inclusions in the…
Sarah Rowley AdamsMarch 18, 2024
Improving the health of New Zealand’s National Vine Collection
Dr Solomon Wante, Bragato Research Institute The National Vine Collection (NVC), situated at the Lincoln University campus and overseen by Bragato Research Institute (BRI),…
Sarah Rowley AdamsMarch 12, 2024
Tuned vines: research in grapevine resilience
Dr Ellie Bradley, Dr Cen Liau, Bragato Research Institute Over the coming decades, the changing climate is expected to bring seasonal variability, increased frequency…
Sarah Rowley AdamsFebruary 15, 2024
Ground wētā in the Awatere – 2023 project update
Jessica Vereijssen, Mette Nielsen, Roger Wallis, Richard Hunter, Stewart Graham (Plant & Food Research), Mary Morgan-Richards, Nyasha Chikwature, and Steve Trewick (Massey University) Wētā…
Sarah Rowley AdamsFebruary 8, 2024
Microbial community and vine responses to increasing temperatures due to climate change and potential consequences for NZ wine styles
Sarah Knight, University of Auckland, and Amber Parker, Lincoln University Microbial communities are essential to produce quality agricultural products, with measurable effects on nutrient availability…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJanuary 26, 2024
Weevils in New Zealand vineyards
Sophie Badland, New Zealand Winegrowers, and Dr Paul Epee, Bragato Research Institute The Garden weevil is an insect pest native to South Africa and was…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJanuary 17, 2024
Prediction of calcium tartrate crystals in wine
Jack Muir and Ken Morison, University of Canterbury Throughout the winemaking process, it is possible for crystals to start growing in wine. While these…
Sarah Rowley AdamsOctober 19, 2023
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc reference genome complete
Dr Annabel Whibley, Bragato Research Institute The Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement programme is one step closer to achieving its goal of increasing the resilience…
Sarah Rowley AdamsOctober 13, 2023
Shared vision for land use in Wairau Marlborough
Forestry, viticulture, beef and lamb. Scan your eyes across the landscape in Marlborough and that’s what you’ll see most. New Zealand’s primary industries have experienced…
Sarah Rowley AdamsOctober 10, 2023
The influence of cold pre-fermentative macerating enzymes on the polysaccharide profile of New Zealand Pinot Noir wines
Hayden Jones-Moore, Dr Rebecca Jelley and Professor Bruno Fedrizzi, University of Auckland Pinot noir is one of the most popular red wines in the…
Sarah Rowley AdamsAugust 10, 2023
Pinot Noir Programme Q&A
Martin D, Grab F, Scofield C, Schurmann M, Stuart L, Grose C, Plant & Food Research In this final article of the series about…
Sarah Rowley AdamsAugust 1, 2023
Factors influencing Pinot noir berry weight and resulting wine quality
Martin D, Grab F, Scofield C, Schurmann M, Stuart L, Grose C, Plant & Food Research Since the initiation of the Pinot Noir Programme…
Sarah Rowley AdamsAugust 1, 2023
Management of grapevine trunk disease using remedial surgery
Eline van Zijll de Jong (Linnaeus Ltd) and Mark Sosnowski (South Australian Research and Development Institute) Grower reliance on remedial surgery to improve vine…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJuly 19, 2023
Tuned Vines
Ever wonder exactly how the environment in Central Otago makes Pinot Noir taste different to that grown in Martinborough, even though the vines are the…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 14, 2023
Nanotechnology and the wine industry
Big things can come in small packages. And when it comes to nanotechnology, really, really big things could come from really, really small packages, including…
Sarah Rowley AdamsMay 15, 2023
Pinot Noir Programme: The quest to find ideal vines…
Martin D, Grab F, Scofield C, Schurmann M, Yang L, Stuart L, Moore T, Zhu J, Grose C, Plant & Food Research Can we find…
Sarah Rowley AdamsApril 3, 2023
Introducing the new BRI rootstock trial
Dr M Carmo Vasconcelos As vineyards age and succumb to trunk disease, there is an urgent need for information to support replanting decision-making. The selection…
Sarah Rowley AdamsFebruary 7, 2023
Ground wētā in the Awatere
Jessica Vereijssen, Mette Nielsen, Roger Wallis, Vaughn Bell, Richard Hunter, Stewart Graham (Plant & Food Research), Mary Morgan-Richards, and Steve Trewick (Massey University) The endemic…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJanuary 30, 2023
Next Generation Viticulture – developing the next generation of New Zealand wine production systems
BRI is developing a research programme, Next Generation Viticulture, to perform a first-principles re-design of how the industry approaches grape canopy management and productivity. The…
Sarah Rowley AdamsDecember 7, 2022
Holistic Solutions: Using clover to clear out mealybug
Written by Sophie Preece Offering mealybugs a "delicious snack" beyond the vines could help slow the spread of virus through New Zealand vineyards, says Plant…
Sarah Rowley AdamsDecember 6, 2022
The Big Picture: A detailed view of vineyard ecosystems
Written by Sophie Preece The Vineyard Ecosystems Programme has opened up a real can of worms... alongside bacteria, fungi, and elemental chemistry. "With such a…
Sarah Rowley AdamsDecember 6, 2022
Water Ways: Good things in the pipeline
Written by Sophie Preece New Zealand's wine industry has good irrigation "eco-credentials" with "parsimonious" water use and extremely low-level nitrogen leaching, says Dr Brent Clothier…
Sarah Rowley AdamsDecember 5, 2022
Vineyard Ecosystems: Rethinking chemicals; measuring eco-credentials
Written by Sophie Preece Nick Hoskins has spent more than seven years racking up 'IOUs' in Hawke's Bay and Marlborough, forging a holistic view of…
Sarah Rowley AdamsDecember 2, 2022
New rootstock trial block planted
Rootstocks are an essential but poorly understood component of winegrowing in New Zealand. It is generally known that rootstocks can confer favourable properties on the…
Sarah Rowley AdamsOctober 26, 2022
Hitting the Marc: Science transforming winery waste
There’s a nice dose of serendipity behind an Auckland scientist’s work to ‘upcycle’ grape marc into high-value stock feed using bioprocessing. Environmental biotechnologist Dr Shan…
Sarah Rowley AdamsAugust 18, 2022
New Oxford Nanopore PromethION sequencer
Bragato Research Institute (BRI) has recently completed the new Canterbury-based Grapevine Improvement Laboratory with the installation of the first high-throughput third-generation sequencer in New Zealand.…
Sarah Rowley AdamsJune 23, 2022
Pruning wound protection
VINEYARD ECOSYSTEMS PROGRAMME Pruning wound protection – a case study Protecting grapevines against trunk diseases can include a range of interventions in the vineyard, but…
BRI AdministratorApril 1, 2020
Improving the outcomes of mealybug insecticide use in vineyards
Improving the outcomes of mealybug insecticide use in vineyards Vaughn Bell, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited Andrew Blakeman, AJB Solutions…
BRI AdministratorFebruary 1, 2020
NZ Lighter Wines – The Sensory Side
NZ Lighter Wines – Research Update from the Sensory Side When Programme Manager David Jordan wants to showcase NZ Lighter’s lower-in-alcohol wines to the…
BRI AdministratorFebruary 1, 2020
Precision Grape Yield Analyser (GYA) Programme
Precision Grape Yield Analyser (GYA) Programme Great progress in the third year of the project (2018/2019) The Programme Developing a Precision Grape Yield Analyser…
BRI AdministratorDecember 1, 2019
Winemaking Options for Lighter Wines
NZ LIGHTER WINES Winemaking Options for Lighter Wines Although Grape Day 2018 was winding down in Blenheim, Villa Maria winemaker Tom Dixon had no…
BRI AdministratorOctober 1, 2018
Vine Options for Lighter Wines
Ask those working in the wine business if great wine is made in the vineyard and you’re likely to hear general agreement. So perhaps it’s…
Sarah Rowley AdamsDecember 1, 2017
