Decanter Awards: Gold Medal for 9 Consecutive Years. The Trajectory of Croatia's Top Winery, "Fakin Winery."
Guardian of the White Soil: Fakin Winery
Why I chose this winery: Bridging "Polako" and perfectionism
Selecting a partner winery is a delicate process, especially when introducing wines to the Japanese market. There's a significant cultural gap between the traditional Balkan spirit of "Polako" (taking life slowly and going with the flow) and Japan's demand for rigorous perfectionism.
For me, trust is the absolute foundation of this business. The moment I opened a sample bottle from Fakin here in Yokohama, the wine spoke for him. I distinctly felt the resonance of the Istrian terroir, and there was no doubt about the quality in the glass. This is a wine I meticulously selected through rigorous professional dialogue and analysis.
The Secret Lies in the Soil: "White Istria"
To understand the soul of Croatian wine, one need look no further than the medieval hilltop town of Motovun. At an altitude of 270 meters above sea level, lies the Fakin Estate.
The soil here is covered in "flysch," a whitish, stony mixture of marl, sandstone, and limestone, once the ancient seabed.
This harsh soil, with its limited surface nutrients, forces the grapevines to dig their roots deep into the cracked bedrock. This struggle results in incredible concentration, deep minerality, and lively, natural acidity. In the glass, you can literally taste the ancient seabed.
From an Abandoned Forest to Decanter Gold
The modern Fakin legacy is a tale of pure tenacity. In 2001, Marko Fakin, then just 13 years old, worked alongside his father and grandfather to manually clear the abandoned Flaminio vineyard. Planted in 1972, the plot had become completely overgrown with forest.
Instead of uprooting the old vines, their painstaking labor was rewarded as they recognized the potential of the deeply rooted old vines. Today, the Fakin Estate boasts an unprecedented achievement in Croatian wine history: nine consecutive gold medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards (2017-2025).
Stars of Indigenous Varieties
■ Teran (Soul of Istria)
The flagship red wine, "Il Primo," is a refined masterpiece that transforms into a beautifully balanced wine with moderate acidity, filled with aromas of Marasca cherry, tobacco leaf, and bitter chocolate. It pairs perfectly with wild boar and aged cheeses.
■ Malvasia Istarska
The "La Prima" label is aged in acacia barrels rather than traditional oak. This enhances natural honey and floral notes, creating a wine with a distinctively refreshing salinity, as if you can feel the Adriatic breeze in the glass.
Why "Fakin Good"?
"Viticulture is done with utmost seriousness, but drinking wine should be enjoyable."
"No to More. Yes to Better."
Exquisite bottles stored at the optimal 16-18°C in our cellar in Yokohama.
An invitation to taste the true spirit of Istria, just for you.
[Information Regarding Images]
The images displayed are AI-generated to help visualize the characteristics of the wine's aroma and taste.
These are visual interpretations of tasting notes and do not represent the exact ripeness of the grapes or the precise balance of the wine.