What Bragato Research Institute does

Bragato Research Institute (BRI), legally New Zealand Winegrowers Research Centre Ltd, is a non-profit research institute headquartered at the Marlborough Research Centre in Blenheim, New Zealand, with a second research site at Lincoln University. Founded in 2015 as the first MBIE-funded Regional Research Institute, BRI operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of New Zealand Winegrowers Inc and serves the country's grape growers and wineries through viticulture and winemaking research, commercial trials, and industry-funded innovation programmes.

BRI's core technology stack centres on a state-of-the-art research winery with capacity for 230 ferments per vintage, the first Oxford Nanopore PromethION high-throughput third-generation DNA/RNA sequencer installed in New Zealand, and a Grapevine Improvement Laboratory at Lincoln housing more than 8,000 unique grapevines. Its major research programmes include the seven-year Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme 2.0 (SB2.0), a MBIE Endeavour-funded Pinot Noir programme, a seven-year Vineyard Ecosystems programme, a MPI Primary Growth Partnership co-funded Lighter Wines programme, and a Climate Change Adaptation programme built on NIWA projections for all nine New Zealand wine regions at 5km granularity across 2040 and 2090 horizons.

BRI's revenue is generated primarily through industry levies collected by NZ Winegrowers, multi-year government grants from MPI and MBIE, and fee-based commercial services including viticulture trials, winery trials, molecular grapevine testing, and PromethION sequencing services. The institute also runs an annual contestable funding round (approximately NZ$300,000 in 2026) distributed to research projects aligned with seven priority outcomes. Customers are concentrated within the New Zealand wine industry and include both large commercial producers (Indevin, Marisco, Loveblock, Greystone Wines) and academic and research collaborators (Lincoln University, Plant & Food Research, Otago Polytechnic, University of Auckland, UC Davis).

Name

Bragato Research Institute

Legal name

New Zealand Winegrowers Research Centre Ltd

Website

https://bri.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bragato Research Institute is New Zealand's dedicated wine industry research institute, conducting viticulture, winemaking and grapevine genomics research for the country's grape growers and wineries as a wholly owned subsidiary of New Zealand Winegrowers Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Industry Research Services

NAICS

Grape Vineyards (111332), Wineries (312130), Wineries (31213), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Grape Vineyard Operations (Varietal/AVA Practices, Yield & Quality Targets) (AFAGAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grape Growing & Canopy Management (In-Season Vineyard Operations) (AFAGAJAB), Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

Keywords

• Viticulture research services
• Grapevine genetic improvement
• Wine industry trials
• Climate adaptation research
• Commercial winery services

Headquarters

HQ city

Blenheim

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contestable Funding: Annual contestable funding round distributed to research projects aligned with seven priority outcomes, sourced from NZ Winegrowers' levy. In 2026, approximately NZ$300,000 available.
2. Commercial Trials and Services: Research winery trials, viticulture trials, and testing services for commercial clients including yeast companies, agrichemical companies, and wineries
3. Government Grants: Funding from Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) for specific research programmes such as the Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 programme and Pinot Noir Programme

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is a New Zealand wine industry research institute that delivers research programmes, commercial trials, and laboratory services across viticulture and winemaking. It runs a Research Winery for controlled fermentation trials, a Grapevine Improvement Laboratory with high-throughput DNA sequencing, and viticulture and winery trial services for growers, wineries, and industry suppliers. Its portfolio includes flagship programmes such as the Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme 2.0 (SB2.0), the Pinot Noir Programme, the Vineyard Ecosystems Programme, the Lighter Wines Programme, and the Climate Change Adaptation Research Programme.

Product overview

Bragato Research Institute operates as a research institute providing a comprehensive portfolio of services and research programmes for the New Zealand wine industry. The offering includes commercial services (Research Winery, Grapevine Identification, PromethION Sequencer, Viticulture Trials, Winery Trials) alongside major research programmes (Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme 2.0, Climate Change Adaptation Research Programme, Pinot Noir Programme, Vineyard Ecosystems Programme, Lighter Wines Programme) and annual Contestable Funding rounds. The Research Winery and trial services enable commercial and research winemaking at controlled experimental scale, while the PromethION Sequencer provides genomic sequencing capabilities. Research programmes focus on grapevine improvement, climate adaptation, Pinot Noir quality, vineyard ecosystems, and lower-alcohol wines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Winery State-of-the-art research winery providing commercial trials and winemaking services for the NZ wine industry. Features custom fermentation tanks supporting 200-litre single fermentations or four 17-litre tanks for individual fermentations under controlled conditions, with 230 ferment capacity per vintage.
• Grapevine Identification (Molecular Testing) Molecular testing services for grapevine identification and virus elimination, supporting the National Vine Collection rehabilitation and grapevine improvement programmes for the NZ wine industry.
• PromethION Sequencing Service Oxford Nanopore PromethION high-throughput third-generation DNA/RNA sequencing service for genomic research, providing long-read data for understanding genetic differences among grapevines and environmental impacts on genetic traits. Hosted at Lincoln University.
• Viticulture Trials Commercial viticulture trials supporting NZ grape growers in testing new ideas or addressing practical challenges on their own vineyards, with funding and research support from BRI, including rootstock trials, clonal selection, and sustainable practices.
• Winery Trials Commercial winery trials enabling the NZ wine industry to test innovations and winemaking techniques at a scale and experimental control not available elsewhere in New Zealand.
• Calcium Tartrate Predictor Model Predictive model for calcium tartrate stability in wines, supporting wine production quality control for NZ wineries.
• Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme 2.0 (SB2.0) Seven-year programme developing New Zealand's own Sauvignon Blanc clones to increase industry resilience through genetic diversity, targeting traits including higher yield, disease resistance, frost tolerance, and improved water efficiency while maintaining the iconic Marlborough flavor profile. Funded by MPI and NZ Winegrowers.
• Climate Change Adaptation Research Programme Multi-phase climate change adaptation research programme modelling NIWA projections for 9 NZ wine regions (2040 and 2090 horizons, 5km granularity, 15 variables) and developing adaptation tools for the NZ wine industry.
• Pinot Noir Programme MBIE Endeavour-funded programme tackling yield-quality detachment in NZ Pinot Noir through four interlinked research areas: consumer quality measures, chemical/biological controls, chemistry measurement tests, and berry morphology studies using machine learning.
• Vineyard Ecosystems Programme Seven-year programme exploring how vineyard practices impact microbial and chemical environments in soils and vines across 24 NZ vineyards, using Bayesian modelling to understand vineyard ecosystem services.
• Lighter Wines Programme Seven-year programme co-funded by MPI Primary Growth Partnership to position New Zealand as the world's top producer of premium lower alcohol and lower calorie wines using applied research approaches.
• Contestable Funding Round Annual contestable funding round supporting research projects targeting sustainability, efficiency, and resilience in viticulture and winemaking, funded by the New Zealand Winegrowers' levy and aligned with seven priority outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce fuel consumption by 15% through High Wire trellising and sheep integration
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plant & Food ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2021Key research partner in the Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme 2.0, collaborating on grapevine breeding and genetic improvement. Also partnered on National Vine Collection rehabilitation and grapevine trunk disease research.
• Lincoln UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts BRI's Grapevine Improvement Laboratory and breeding vineyard. Collaborates on viticulture research, climate change adaptation, and hosts PromethION sequencer. Academic partner for student supervision and graduate research.
• Oxford Nanopore TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of PromethION third-generation DNA sequencer for high-throughput grapevine genome sequencing. Enables rapid screening of 12,000+ genetic variants.
• New Zealand eScience Infrastructure (NeSI)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides high-performance computing resources for genome sequencing and data analysis supporting grapevine improvement research.
• National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned in 2018 to model climate change projections for all 9 NZ wine regions for 2040 and 2090 time horizons, covering 15 variables at 5km granularity.
• University of AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on Pinot Noir Programme (microbial communities study), nanotechnology research, and chemical analysis of Vineyard Ecosystems Programme wines.
• UC DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on Pinot Noir colour research investigating juice and pomace impacts on wine quality at lower soluble solids levels.
• Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on climate change adaptation. AWRI scientists have presented at Bragato conference on climate research.
• South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on grapevine trunk disease management, optimising wound protection timing and pruning wound susceptibility duration.
• Riversun NurseriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated trial vines and rootstocks for Pinot Noir clonal trial. Collaboration partner for grapevine material.
• Otago PolytechnicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Pinot Noir clonal trial vineyard at Bannockburn Road site and manages field operations.
• Fermentis (Lesaffre Group)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of Research Winery since 2020. Conducts yeast trials and fermentation research using BRI facilities.
• Ormond NurseriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPropagation facility for SB2.0 nursery grafting trials, producing grafted vines for commercial vineyard deployment.
• CNRS/University of Rennes 2 (VinAdapt)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year international collaboration on climate change adaptation for viticulture, bringing together French and NZ researchers.
• Institut Agro MontpellierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for viticulture research collaboration, including High Wire trellising study through student internship programme.
• Dr Amber Parker (Lincoln University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior Lecturer in Viticulture designing climate change research programme and leading pruning/AI research for labor automation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI): Australia's national grape and wine research organisation, funded by a statutory levy and government grants. Directly comparable as an industry-body-owned research institute delivering viticulture, winemaking, and extension services to growers and wineries. BRI and AWRI already collaborate on climate adaptation.
• Plant & Food Research (New Zealand): New Zealand Crown Research Institute conducting horticultural and crop science including grapevine improvement. Co-invested with BRI on SB2.0 and grapevine trunk disease; highly comparable as a publicly funded science partner serving the same growers and industry.
• Lincoln University (Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences): Hosts BRI's Grapevine Improvement Laboratory and breeding vineyard and runs adjacent viticulture/oenology research. Directly comparable as an academic and applied research collaborator serving the same NZ wine industry stakeholders.

Others

• Vinidea / Wine Industry Technical Suppliers Cluster: Italian wine technical publishing and consulting network disseminating applied viticulture and oenology research. Comparable as an adjacent extension and dissemination channel reaching growers and wineries, similar to BRI's Grape Days and field workshop programme.
• National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA): NZ Crown Research Institute commissioned by BRI in 2018 to deliver climate projections for all 9 NZ wine regions. Comparable as a research infrastructure provider whose data outputs underpin BRI's adaptation programme.
• Riversun Nurseries: NZ grapevine nursery supplying rootstocks and grafted vines, a collaborator donating material for BRI's Pinot Noir clonal trials. Comparable as an adjacent commercial propagator whose product flow is shaped by BRI's genetic improvement outputs.
• Fermmentis / Lesaffre Wine Research Services: Global yeast supplier (Lesaffre Group) running commercial fermentation trials and sponsoring BRI's Research Winery since 2020. Comparable as a commercial R&D partner that runs trials through BRI's research winery infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment): Large public research body running extensive grapevine, viticulture, and oenology programmes through units such as UE Pech Rouge. Comparable as a publicly funded science organisation producing fundamental and applied wine research, but at much broader national/European scale.
• UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology: University-based wine science program delivering research, extension, and industry services for the US wine sector. Comparable as a research and education partner for major wine regions; BRI already collaborates with UC Davis on Pinot Noir colour research.

Emerging players

• South African Grape and Wine Research Institute (SAGWRI): Newly consolidated South African wine research institute combining Stellenbosch University and industry capability. Comparable as a national wine research entity still building its consolidated mandate, mirroring BRI's Regional Research Institute positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2Ev20aUYqaFQ83dTw_Pznw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BragatoResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bragato
• Instagraminstagram.com/bragatoresearch
• Xx.com/BragatoResearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bragato Research Institute