Montana's major revamp

New Zealand wine brand Montana will be ditching its name from October this year, to reappear as Brancott Estate.

Brand-owner Pernod Ricard is making the move in a bid to create a global wine brand — Montana was already known as Brancott in markets such as the US.

The company claims the name change will also capitalise on the brand's provenance and heritage — the very first Sauvignon Blanc grapes in Marlborough, a region which has since become famed for the varietal, were planted on the Brancott Estate in 1975, the original Montana vineyard.

"We did a lot of talking to consumers all over the world about the rebrand and what we found is that they liked the Brancott Estate story and felt it added heart and soul to the brand," said Lee James, commercial director for wines, Pernod Ricard UK.

New packaging has been designed for the brand, which will appear in its new guise in October.

The initial bottle will retain key packaging features that consumers associate with the original Montana, such as the gold mountain logo and label design.

A Montana sticker and neck collar will explain the change, helping to reinforce the link between the old and new brand.

The company will double its marketing investment to promote the change and to reassure fans that the wine and the price of a bottle will remain exactly the same.

While exact figures on the level of investment remain under wraps, James said the spend "will be the fifth-biggest in the wine category."

It is hoped the on-trade will be a major area of growth for the three-strong range, which consists of Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir, with tailored activity to be announced in due course.