BRI is holding a one-day winemaker’s event on 10 May in Hawke’s Bay to discuss what areas of winemaking need more research and present research on Chardonnay and Syrah.
BRI is coming to Hawke's Bay to discuss the next wave of wine science research. We want to hear from you! We encourage winemakers to come along and share any ideas, concerns, or challenges in winemaking.
We also have Kumeu River winemaker Michael Brajkovich MW and Church Road Winery Chief Winemaker Chris Scott presenting and leading tastings on Chardonnay and Syrah. Dr Chandré Honeth from EIT will share her recent Syrah viticulture research and Dr Andrew Waterhouse from the Robert Mondavi Institute of Wine and Food Science, USA will share his knowledge and expertise.
This workshop is free to attend and will include lunch.
Director, Robert Mondavi Institute of Wine and Food Science
Dr Andrew Waterhouse is a third-generation Californian. He attended the University of Notre Dame, earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, and then UC Berkeley for his PhD in organic chemistry. In 1991, he moved to the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. His research program has delved into wine oxidation and various aspects of wine chemistry, with an emphasis on phenolic compounds. He is currently a Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture and is Director of the Robert Mondavi Institute at UC Davis.
Dr Chandré Honeth
Viticulture and Wine Science Lecturer
Dr Chandré Honeth received her PhD from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, where she investigated the influence of UVB radiation on berry metabolites in Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Chandré is currently a lecturer and researcher in viticulture at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT). She will present her research on deficit irrigation as a way to modulate Syrah quality parameters.
Michael Brajkovich, MW
Kumeu River Wines
Michael studied Oenology at Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia and returned to his family's business in Kumeu to take responsibility for wine production. In 1989 Michael became New Zealand’s first member of the Institute of Masters of Wine, London. He has many years of experience in judging and chairing wine awards in both New Zealand and Australia. Kumeu River's Chardonnay wines have enjoyed critical acclaim and success in international markets. The purchase of a Limestone-based vineyard at Raukawa in Hawke's Bay in 2017 is an exciting new development for Kumeu River, featuring Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Chris Scott
Church Road Winery Chief Winemaker
Chris started his career at Church Road Winery in 1995, working part-time in the vineyards and cellar door while studying for a degree in wine science at EIT and Charles Sturt University. In 1998 Chris joined the winery team full-time in the cellar, becoming head winemaker in 2005. Up until 2002, Chris and the team worked with Bordeaux winemaker Domaine Cordier who bought a contrasting old-world perspective to New Zealand winemaking that has maintained an influence throughout the evolution of winemaking at Church Road over the years. Church Road made its first commercial Syrah in 2004 and has received accolades for the wines grown on both Bridge Pa Triangle and Gimblett Gravels districts.
