Photos: Croatian Vintage
Croatia is a country of sun-soaked coastlines, ancient winemaking traditions, and grape varieties found nowhere else in the world. Thanks to Croatian Vintage, that rich heritage is now being poured into glasses across Australia.
Founded by wine enthusiasts Steve and Ana Jakic, alongside John Gavljak, Croatian Vintage is more than a business—it’s a celebration of culture, craftsmanship, and community. Their mission is to showcase premium, small-batch wines and spirits from Croatia’s diverse regions. As a result, the team has introduced Australians to the true flavours of Slavonia, Istria, Dalmatia, and beyond.
In this interview, we explore the story behind Croatian Vintage. We delve into the passion that fuels it, and the vision for the future—one bottle at a time.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us your role at Croatian Vintage?
How did Croatian Vintage begin? What inspired you to start importing Croatian wines and spirits to Australia?
Where is your business based, and how can customers reach you?
Our mission is simple: “At Croatian Vintage, we celebrate Croatia’s rich winemaking heritage by bringing fine indigenous wines & spirits to tables across Australia. We connect cultures, inspire conversations, and share our deep passion for quality and tradition”.
Steve and Ana Jakic, together with John Gavljak, shared a passion for introducing local Croatian indigenous wines to a broader audience. These are wines we would be proud to serve to our friends and colleagues – both Croatian & non-Croatian alike. Quite simply, our love for fine wine and deep connection to Croatia inspired us. Our goal was to bring our two passions together in a meaningful way.
Exploring indigenous varieties from Slavonia, Istria, Dalmatia, and Hercegovina
What types of wines and spirits do you offer, and from which regions of Croatia do they come?
Our aim was to create a wine journey through Croatia. We have focused on wineries from all the major Croatian wine growing regions. We source our Slavonian wines from renowned producers like Krauthaker and TRS, offering graševina, traminac, cabernet franc, and more.
In Istria, we feature selections from the Rossi and Fakin wineries, known for their malvazija and teran. Dalmatian wines come from esteemed names such as Skaramuča and Korta Katarina, specialising in pošip and plavac mali/dingač.
Finally, from Hercegovina we source the Teuta Citluk winery (blatina, zilvaka & trnjak varieties). Our spirits come from Aura, Rossi & Old Pilots. This includes a variety of fruit brandies, teranino and gins.
Croatia has many indigenous grape varieties that deserve recognition. We aim to share them with the Australian public. Most of our wineries are smaller, specialised wineries focusing on local indigenous wines. They are often family-run, and in the world of mass production, this is our unique selling point. We apply the same approach to the spirits we import. Premium, quality, fine wines & spirits are our focus.
Do you also source products from other Mediterranean countries, or is the focus solely on Croatia?
Mostly focussed on Croatia we have some wines coming from Hercegovina once again focussing on indigenous grape varieties.
Which wine or spirit would you say is your best-seller or most beloved by customers?
It’s difficult to choose, but from a spirit perspective, the Teranino liqueur remains extremely popular both locally & in Croatia. Among the white wines, I particularly enjoy our Krauthaker grasevina from Slavonia. It is a dry, fresh, aromatic white wine from the godfather of the Croatian wine industry Vlado Krauthaker. I’m also fond of the Genero Cuvee from our TRS winery in Ilok, a distinctive blend of Chardonnay and Grasevina. As for reds, I always enjoy a Dalmatian dingac, as well as our Cabernet Francs.
Are there any new or limited-edition products currently in stock?
We have recently started to work with the top Istrian family wineries, Vina Rossi & Fakin. Their terans & malavasias are must-try wines.
How Croatian Vintage promotes heritage and storytelling through wine
How important is it for you to promote Croatian culture through wine and spirits?
It is of essence. We want to share our passion for Croatia through our love of wine. Our goal is for Australians to know Croatian premium wines. We want them to reference them to other better-known European wine countries.
Are you involved with Croatian festivals, community events, or club functions in Australia?
Absolutely, several Croatian clubs across Australia have our wines on their wine lists. A few wine bars in Sydney do too. Over the years, we have held wine tasting events and wine education nights. We have also held a few private wine tasting events. The feedback to our Croatian wines from non-Croatians has been fantastic.
Online store with Australia-wide delivery
How can customers purchase your products—do you sell online, in-store, or at events?
The best place to order our wines and spirits is from our website www.croatianvintage.com.au from which we deliver Australia wide.
What makes Croatian wine and rakija unique, and how do you explain it to someone unfamiliar with them?
Croatian wines and spirits are unique due to their deep roots in history and distinct native grape varieties. They also have traditional harvesting and production methods. Croatia is home to over 120 indigenous grape varieties, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. These range from “plavac mali” (bold Dalmatian red) to grasevina (a crisp, versatile white from Slavonia). Winemaking in Croatia dates back over 2,500 years to ancient Greeks and Illyrians. The terra covers Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia. The variety is astounding for such a small country.
What message would you like to share with the Croatian community in Australia and wine lovers across the country?
We take pride in sourcing wines that positively reflect the Croatian wine industry, with the aim of introducing high-quality Croatian wines and spirits to the whole of Australia.