Good taste: Great unveiling

2008 Montana South Island Pinot Noir, $15. Photo / Supplied

Fabian Partigliani was clearly nervous as he unveiled, to a group of wine writers, the biggest change to Montana Wines of the past decade. If you don't count the introduction of screwcaps, which now seal at least 90 per cent of the company's wines, the change from Montana to Brancott Estate is its boldest move in 10 years.

No wonder Partigliani was nervous. It fell to him as head of the company to decide on the change, then announce it. In telling wine writers first, he ran the risk of early dissent in the ranks of his staunchest media allies, while also hoping to garner their support. He got support, but also a few murmurings of disquiet.

When announcing Brancott Estate would replace the Montana brand in an identical font on wine labels and all marketing, it might make you think of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Would this transition of different information be so smooth that we might soon ask ourselves if Montana Wines ever existed?

Some suggest this is just another New Zealand company throwing the baby out with the bathwater in order to go upmarket. And New Zealanders do seem adept at throwing away a finely honed identity as soon as it becomes, well, finely honed.

Partigliani has been criticised for taking too long - it was a two-year process - to decide on what one marketing commentator said was a blindingly obvious branding opportunity. But if an important change isn't well-considered it can hardly be worth worrying about, can it?

The change was triggered by confusion in the fast-growing North American export market. Those living in the land of the free are not quite brave enough to imagine the word Montana as referring to anything other than their own fair state - creating a degree of confusion about exactly where Montana wines were made.

Any misgivings about this change have been put to rest, for me, by wine industry elder statesman Terry Dunleavy, who suggests that the new single global name is an opportunity for a repositioning. He has a good point. Those who drink Montana wines know they are reliably high-quality, despite their big-brand, low-price status. From $10 up to $45, Montana consistently gives great value. As do the other two of this week's outstanding wines, which are from another of this country's oldest wineries, Babich, which also has had some rebranding in its history.

Babich, in West Auckland, was once known as Pinot Vineyards. The name was changed to Northern Vineyards, then to Babich because the pinot the winery had access to in the first half of last century didn't grow easily.

It was a big upheaval, changing names, Peter Babich says, but it hasn't affected the taste of what's in the bottle, just the perception of those who pay close attention to labels.

Wines of the week

2008 Montana South Island Pinot Noir $15
The words "South Island" on the label of this soft, spicy red wine are another way of saying its grapes come from more than one region; the total is tastier than each separate part. montanawines.co.nz

2008 Babich Winemaker's Reserve Pinot Noir $30
This spicy medium-bodied Marlborough pinot noir is a top quality South Island red. From Glengarry's or babichwines.co.nz

2007 Babich The Patriarch $60
This top red is named after winery founder Josip Babich. An elegant tribute, with flavours of blackberry. Big-bodied, spicy, lingering taste.