Brancott Estate

Montana was founded by Ivan and Amanda Yukich (Jukić), Croatian immigrants who planted their first vines in 1934, Titirangi (Scenic Drive, Titirangi), situated in the Waitākere Ranges west of Auckland. The first wine was sold in 1944, and by 1960 10 hectares (25 acres) of vineyards were planted. Two of Ivan's son's, Mate and Frank, had become involved, and they set up the company Montana Wines in 1961. By the end of the 1960s, the company had expanded further, planting vines on land south of Auckland. In 1973, the company expanded into Gisborne and Marlborough and exported its first wines in 1980.

Montana was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, initially as 'Corporate Investments Limited', and then as Montana Wines. It was the main sponsor of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards from 1994 to 2009.

In 2000, Montana successfully purchased Corbans Wines, New Zealand's second largest producer at the time, to control 60% of domestic wine sales and a large majority of the country's wine exports. Montana was then itself taken over by the British firm Allied Domecq in 2001 after eventually outbidding Lion Nathan, and four years later Allied Domecq was bought by Pernod Ricard in 2005.

In 2010, Pernod Ricard sold off several of its brands, including Lindauer and Corbans Wines, to a partnership formed between Lion and Indevin, another large New Zealand wine operator.

Pernod-Ricard operates several different brands in New Zealand. Ranked approximately in order of prestige.

Church Road

Originally the Tom McDonald Winery, the Church Road Winery in Taradale near Napier represents a flagship brand. It produces mainly Merlot-Cabernet blends, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc in several tiers. In order of price, the Tom wines are positioned at the premium end of the market and are some of New Zealand's most expensive wines. Next are the Grand Reserve and McDonald Series ranges, and finally the range of cheaper white-label Church Road wines are available in supermarkets.

Montana Wines, Brancott Estate

In 2010, Montana Wines was renamed Brancott Estate, where its wines had already been sold for over a decade with this label. Today only its Winemaker Series of wines carries the Montana brand name within New Zealand, since there is still strong Montana brand recognition and association with New Zealand wine. Ironically, some of the Montana labelled wines are made with grapes from Australia.

Montana has several levels of wines under the label Brancott Estate. The most prestigious 'estate' label is the Letter Series, a range of Marlborough only wines. The letter used to relate to the name of the vineyard when wines came from other regions previously (e.g. O for Ormond, Gisborne).