The annual Bragato Wine Awards are a salute to the vision of Romeo Bragato who arrived in New Zealand on the 19th February 1895.  He came with impressive credentials including a diploma in Oenology from Conegliano - Italy's famous school of viticulture. Over the next 10 years his research identified the varieties to plant, the Phylloxera resistant rootstocks to graft them to, the regions in which to plant vines, the varieties most suitable to each region, vineyard layout, pruning methods and much more.  Regrettably his work was not acted on and lay forgotten for over 60 years. Dusted off by New Zealand wine pioneers in the 1970's and early 1980's, many of the recommendations of Romeo Bragato form the basis of modern New Zealand viticulture practices.