Bragato Research Institute (BRI) opened the doors to its new research winery on 27 February. Built in Marlborough, the new research winery will enable the BRI to trial new technology and innovation, ensuring the New Zealand wine industry is at the cutting edge of modern grape growing and winemaking.
“This world-class facility will enable the New Zealand wine industry to take research trials through to finished wines under tightly controlled experimental conditions,” says MJ Loza, CEO of BRI. “With wine industry exports now valued at $1.86 billion, BRI’s activities will support the ongoing sustainable growth of the industry through research and innovation.”
The new facility will trial winemaking equipment, technologies and processes and sustainable winery operations. It will also provide commercial research winemaking services to suppliers and industry. BRI has already designed and built custom- fermentation tanks. Scalability trials of these world-first prototypes proved successful, when compared to commercial tanks.
Tracy Atkin, BRI Establishment Manager says: “It’s not about telling people what to do, because that’s not our job. It’s about showcasing what can be done.” The institute is also planning that its research winery will provide a sustainability benchmark for industry at large, targeting a 5 Green Star certified built rating. If awarded, it will be the first such NZ Green Building Council certified building in Marlborough, under the Green Star green building certification program. It is being launched under a continuous improvement sustainability plan, and has been future proofed to allow for up-scaled sustainability as time and funding permit. The BRI was established in 2017 with MBIE funding under the Regional Research Institute initiative. It is also supported financially by the Marlborough District Council and its owner, New Zealand Winegrowers. Though based in Marlborough, BRI provides world-leading research and development to benefit New Zealand’s entire wine industry, and its key stakeholders.
