EXHIBIT 31.1
                                 ------------

                    RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) CERTIFICATION
                           OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

                           Constellation Brands, Inc.
               Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended February 29, 2004

I, Richard Sands, certify that:

1.  I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of Constellation Brands, Inc.;

2.  Based  on  my  knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue  statement
of  a  material  fact  or  omit  to  state a material fact necessary to make the
statements  made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were
made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based  on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and other  financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial  condition,  results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as
of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I  are  responsible  for
establishing  and  maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:

         (a)  Designed  such  disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
         disclosure   controls   and  procedures  to  be  designed   under   our
         supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to the
         registrant,  including  its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
         us  by  others within those entities, particularly during the period in
         which this report is being prepared;

         (b)  Evaluated  the   effectiveness  of   the  registrant's  disclosure
         controls and  procedures  and presented in  this report our conclusions
         about the effectiveness  of the disclosure controls and  procedures, as
         of  the  end  of  the  period  covered  by  this report  based on  such
         evaluation; and

         (c)  Disclosed  in  this report any change in the registrant's internal
         control  over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
         most  recent  fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in
         the  case  of  an  annual  report)  that has materially affected, or is
         reasonably  likely  to  materially  affect,  the  registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting; and

5.  The  registrant's  other  certifying officer and I  have disclosed, based on
our  most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent functions):

         (a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
         or  operation  of  internal  control over financial reporting which are
         reasonably  likely  to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's ability to
         record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

         (b)  Any  fraud,  whether  or not material, that involves management or
         other  employees  who  have  a  significant  role  in  the registrant's
         internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  May 14, 2004

/s/  Richard Sands
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Richard Sands
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer