The Bragato Scholarship

At the instigation of  Club member Kevyn Moore, a Life Member New Zealand Grape Growers Council, the Club has been co-sponsoring the Bragato Scholarship to foster an ongoing link between the Scuola di Viticultura ed Enologia, Conegliano, Italy and the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), Hawke’s Bay New Zealand. Recently the Rotary Club of Conegliano has joined the programme as a co-sponsor.

The Bragato Study Exchange Award recognises an historical connection between Conegliano and New Zealand, dating from 1895 when Romeo Bragato, an ex student of the Regia Scuola di Viticultura ed Enologia dei Conegliano, visited New Zealand.

Romeo went on to become the New Zealand government viticulturalist from 1902 to 1909. He recognised the potential for the New Zealand wine industry, identified many grape growing areas, made international award winning wines, held field days for growers, lectured widely and published booklets on viticultural and wine making practices.

Many of the ideas expounded by Romeo Bragato still form part of the modern New Zealand wine making industry.

Since 2003, students from Italy have travelled to NZ to study NZ viticulture based at EIT and NZ students have been to Italy in exchange.

Recent Scholarship Winners

Andrea Miotto

Andrea was the first recipient of the Bragato Scholarship.

He returned to NZ for “THE 2008 VINTAGE”. When he came initially, he had no idea that wine was made in NZ. - his grandfather thought NZ was about “sheep and things”! He had his first week in Auckland, followed by Hawkes Bay, Marlborough with the fourth and final week in Wellington and Martinborough before returning to Italy for a final year of study. Since then he has visited and experienced wine areas in Argentina and California’s Nappa Valley. This was capped off by 3 more years at university to attain his degree. He now has his own vineyard. Back in Italy he has had an ongoing involvement with Bragato and has met all the Exchange Students.

Alberto Gianduzzo

Alberto, 19, came from San Dona di Piave about 40km north east of Venice and in the heart of the Piave DOC region - famous for raboso, , cabernet and merlot red wines.

Grant Roberts

Grant went to Conegliano, Nth Italy, for a month long visit to learn all aspects of the Italian Viticulture industry. He currently has his own vineyard in Dartmoor and produces his own wine.

Bruno Cecchetto

Bruno is from Soffratta, a small city of Mareno di Piave, near to Conegliano. It is located in Treviso province, in the region of Veneto. He is 19 years old.

His father cultivates major northern Italian varieties: Grey Pinot, Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Prosecco and two of native varieties: Raboso Piave and Verduzzo Trevigiano.

Hayden Penny

Hayden is 24.  He is in his 3rd year at EIT doing a double degree, both Viticulture & Wine Science and has achieved outstanding  academic results.

He has been a member of the Taradale Volunteer Fire Brigade since 2003. He is current captain of the Napier Old Boys Marist premier rugby team and a member of the Westshore Surf Lifesaving Club.

Elisa Ferarri

Elisa comes from a family of four and her father is a grape grower in the Treviso area. Their vineyard covers 6 hectares. The premier grape of the area is the Proseco variety which grows well on the sandstone soils with good drainage. The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed before being chilled, separated and fermented.

Elisa is currently on a 6 year course of study which includes traditional academic subjects together with specialist viticulture ones. She will finish at the University of Padua.

Renee Dale

Renee comes from Auckland.  She has represented New Zealand in soccer, both at Secondary School and Women’s age group. She is 19 years of age and is in her 2nd year at E.I.T., studying Bachelor of Wine Sciences.  She is an excellent student academically and a personable, quiet achiever.  She is highly motivated and has been an excellent ambassadress for both E.I.T. and Taradale Rotary. 

 Enrico Battiston.

Enrico comes from Musile di Piave, a little village about 50 kilometres from Venice. He attends the fifth year of Cerletti’s school, agricultural and oenologist college in Conegliano, and next year I will take the matriculation exam.

During the week he lives in Conegliano and after school has a job in the “Veneto agricoltura’s” winery, an experimental centre inside the school’s winery.

Desirée Janson

Desiree grew up in a rural community, Maungatapere, not far from Whangarei where the green pastures were plentiful and the only grapevines to be found were in people’s backyards. I have a younger sister and brother  My mother and father ran an agricultural and horticultural contracting business.My first experiences of winemaking were my Poppas homebrew barrels and his many experimentations, which occasionally resulted in exploding flagons!.

2008

Chiara Masiero

Chiara writes "My name is Chiara Masiero, I’m 18 years old and I live in a small village, called Breda di Piave, in the province of Treviso near Conegliano. I’m an only child.

I studying in the fifth year at the “G.B. Cerletti”school  of Viticulture & Oenology in Conegliano. I enjoy the oenology course because the subjects are very interesting.

When I finish my studies at the Conegliano school in 2009, I am going to university and then I plan to work in a winery."

Alex Roper

Alex writes.."Hi, my name is Alex Roper and I am fast approaching 21 years of age..

I grew up in Hamilton and attended Knighton normal school. I moved onto Southwell School between the ages of 9 and 12, then went to Fairfield College all the way through to the end of 7th Form.

I am working part time at the Mission Estate Winery cellar door, and I am extremely pleased with my choice to study wine and viticulture. The topics fascinate me and I have learned a huge amount. That once far-fetched idea of becoming a winemaker seems very achievable now."

Dott Giacinto Feletto, Principal of La Scuola Enologica di Conegliano, his wife Egidia Bottega, David Moore and Malcolm Reeves of EIT, Chris Howell, President of HB Winegrowers Assn, outbound Bragatto student Haden Penny were welcomed to a special evening to welcome and hear  the Doctor address members in the Matariki Cellars.

Rosemary O'Connor welcomed all to Matariki and gave an over view of the winery that she and John established from small beginnings 20 years ago when they bought a block in Gimblett Road in the belief that it would produce quality red wines. Despite being told by their bank manager that, not only did they have rocks on their land but also in their heads, their belief has been vindicated in their land producing wines of intensity and balance. The winery is open 7 days for tastings.

Kevyn Moore introduced our guest speaker, Dott Giacinto Feletto, Principal of la Scuola Enologica di Conegliano.

Giacinto explained that he has been the school's principal since 2000 and is in his final year before retirement. The school which was established in 1876, is in fact a secondary school  where students arrive at age 14 to study viticulture and oenology in a 6 year course. However they are faced with change in trying to adopt standards common within the EEC whereby students would be required to complete 3 years of university education to gain their qualification. Giacinto is justifiably proud of the growth of the school which has seen the roll increase from 640 students in 2000 to 1030 in 2005.

Romeo Bragato. A Background paper

The following paper has been provided by Kevyn Moore. Click here. PDF format

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