Research Snapshots

Discover the Cutting-Edge with "Research Snapshots"

Research Snapshots is a regular presentation series showcasing innovative research from organisations within the New Zealand Wine Centre, including Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Bioeconomy Science Institute, and Bragato Research Institute.

Each themed session offers concise insights into current research, emerging findings, and potential industry applications, while providing opportunities for discussion and collaboration between researchers and industry.

Research Snapshots are held at the MRC Theatre, New Zealand Wine Centre, 85 Budge Street. They are free to attend, and there is no need to register. Just come along!

MRC is pleased to invite you to the next New Zealand Wine Centre Research Snapshot:

November Snapshots

Australian research and Sauvignon blanc clone assessment

Join us for the next Research Snapshots session, featuring two presentations exploring research in Australia and Sauvignon blanc clone assessment in Marlborough.

Title: From vines to almonds and beyond: what’s happening at BSI in Australia?

Tuesday, 3 November | 1.30–2.30 pm | MRC Lecture Theatre, 85 Budge Street, Blenheim

Free to attend. No registration required.

Dr Roberta De Bei is a senior scientist with more than 20 years’ experience in plant physiology, spanning precision management, canopy architecture, water stress physiology and carbohydrate metabolism. After 15 years as a research fellow in viticulture at the University of Adelaide, she joined Plant & Food Research, Australia Pty Ltd (PFRAU), now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI), where she now leads research into almond production systems

Based in Adelaide, Roberta will share insights into her current work on crop optimisation, fruit and nut quality, canopy management and plant development in almond orchards. She will also discuss BSI’s partnership with the Plants for Space Centre of Excellence, which supports research into indoor table grape production and controlled-environment agriculture.

Sauvignon blanc clones assessed through single-vine wine micro-fermentation

Muriel Yvon is a researcher at BSI, based at the NZ Wine Centre in Marlborough. She will discuss the use of single-vine wine micro-fermentation to assess Sauvignon blanc clones in Marlborough.

The session offers an opportunity to hear about these research projects and join the discussion.

Researchers, growers and others interested in viticulture and plant science are welcome to attend.

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Student research spotlight

Our final session of the year

Join us for the final Research Snapshots session of the year, featuring two PhD students exploring important challenges for the wine industry.

Monday 16 November | 1.30–2.30 pm | MRC Lecture Theatre, 85 Budge Street, Blenheim

Free, no registration required

Calvin Wong | Charles Sturt University
Grapevine root distribution and implications for water and nitrogen uptake in cover cropped vineyards
Calvin’s PhD is partly funded by an MRC scholarship. He is investigating how soil conditions, competition from ground covers, and wetting patterns from rainfall and irrigation shape where grapevine roots grow and how they function, with implications for water and nitrogen uptake. Using soil core samples from cover cropped vineyards in Orange, NSW, and Marlborough, he is comparing root distribution across contrasting management practices and soil types.

Lyle Cornish | Victoria University of Wellington
Inhibiting the laccases of Botrytis cinerea
Lyle’s PhD is funded by Bragato Research Institute. His research targets laccases, enzymes produced by Botrytis cinerea that break down wine polyphenols and cause browning and haze. Using computational protein design, he generated more than 64,000 potential inhibitors and narrowed them to 200 promising mini-protein designs. He has also purified two laccases and set up an assay to measure their activity. This paves the way to test the leading designs in the laboratory and in wine.

Snapshot Resources

Recordings and slides from past Research Snapshots, gathered in one place.

Winegrape Genetic Improvement and the Future of Grapevine Breeding
20 August 2026
Phillipa Barrel (Bioeconomy Science Institute) – Disease-resistant vines and current gene-editing research, including genetic screening work on DRVs
Ellie Bradley (Bragato Research Institute) – Outcome-focused approaches to genetic improvement, linking New Zealand research with international developments
▶ Watch the recording
Recording guide: Phillipa Barrel 00:00 · Ellie Bradley 23:28

MBIE updates: New research driving the future of viticulture
4 Aug 2026
Bioeconomy Science Institute researchers share the latest findings from MBIE-funded viticulture research.
Michelle Thompson – Investigating Grapevine Rootstock Metabolites as Potential Feeding Deterrents for Citrophilus Mealybugs
Justine Larrouy – Microbiome-Engineered Grapevines
Damian Martin – Predicting the Unseen: A New Method for Accurate Yield Estimation in Viticulture
▶ Watch the recording
Recording guide: Michelle Thompson 00:00 · Justine Larrouy 28:00 · Damian Martin 50:00

Spore trapping and the rise to Gubler 100
8 June 2026
Karen Peterson and Mark Krasnow (Kraz)
▶ Watch the recording · 📄 Download the slides
Please note: the audio is missing for the last 10 minutes of this recording. Karen and Mark were keen for it to be shared, and the slides are available above.

Soil type and grapevine water uptake depth in Marlborough
26 March 2026
Dr Itxaso Ruiz (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, NEIKER & University of Auckland) – How soil type influences where Marlborough vines access water, and what this means for soil-specific irrigation
▶ Watch the recording · 📄 Download the slides