Decanter Awards: Gold Medal for 9 Consecutive Years. The Trajectory of Croatia's Top Winery, "Fakin Winery."
Guardians of the White Soil: Fakin Winery
Why I Chose This Winery: Bridging "Polako" and Perfectionism
Selecting a partner winery, especially when introducing wines to the Japanese market, is a highly delicate process. There's a significant cultural gap between the traditional Balkan spirit of "Polako" (to take life slowly and go with the flow) and Japan's demand for rigorous perfectionism.
For me, trust is the absolute foundation of this business. The moment I opened Fakin's sample bottle here in Yokohama, the wine spoke for itself. I distinctly felt the resonance of Istrian terroir, and there was no doubt about the undeniable quality in the glass. This is a wine I meticulously selected through rigorous professional dialogue and analysis.
The Secret is in the Soil: "White Istria"
If you want to understand the soul of Croatian wine, look no further than the medieval hilltop town of Motovun. At an altitude of 270 meters above sea level, you'll find the Fakin Estate.
The soil here is covered in a whitish, stony "flysch", a mixture of marl, sandstone, and limestone that was once an ancient seabed.
This harsh soil, poor in surface nutrients, forces the grapevines to push their roots deep into the cracked bedrock. This struggle produces incredible concentration, deep minerality, and a vibrant, natural acidity. You can literally taste the ancient seabed in your glass.
From an Abandoned Forest to Decanter Gold
The modern Fakin legacy is a story of pure resilience. In 2001, Marko Fakin, then just 13 years old, worked with 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 paid off as they saw the potential in the deep-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).
Indigenous Grape Stars
■ Teran (Soul of Istria)
The flagship red wine "Il Primo". It ascends to a refined masterpiece, beautifully balanced with notes of Marasca cherry, tobacco leaf, and dark chocolate, and a pleasant medium acidity. It pairs perfectly with wild boar and aged cheeses.
■ Malvazija Istarska
The "La Prima" label is aged in acacia barrels, not traditional oak. This enhances natural honey and floral notes, resulting in a wine with a distinctive refreshing salinity, as if you can feel the Adriatic breeze in your glass.
Why "Fakin Good"?
"Viticulture is extremely serious, but drinking wine should be fun."
"No to More. Yes to Better."
Exquisite bottles stored at an optimal 16-18℃ in our Yokohama cellar.
An invitation to taste the true spirit of Istria, for you.
【About the Images】
The images displayed are AI-generated to help convey the characteristics of the wine's aroma and flavor.
These are visual representations of tasting notes and do not necessarily reflect the exact ripeness of the grapes or the precise balance of the wine.