Mate Victor Yukich

Montana wines was founded by a Croatian immigrant, Ivan Yukich (Jukić), who planted his first vines in 1934 in the Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland. The first wine was sold in 1944, and by 1960, 10 hectares were planted. Ivan's sons, 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 land south of Auckland.