Of the 14 gold medals awarded to Croatian wines, Istrian winemakers claimed five for Malvasia and one Platinum for a dessert wine. Organized by Vinistra, Decanter arrives in Istria less than two weeks after the results announcement.

Croatia continues to make impressive strides at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), winning more medals year after year – with Istrian wines once again shining bright. Gold medals in London were awarded to: Malvazija Vina Bernobić 2024; Malvazija Istarska Bruno Ferenac 2023; Santa Lucia Malvazija Kozlović 2018; Korona Malvazija Vina Franković 2019; and La Prima Malvazija Fakin 2023. The Platinum medal and an outstanding 97 points went to the dessert wine San Salvatore Benvenuti 2021.

A remarkable result for Istrian winemakers and Malvasia, now Croatia’s most awarded and recognizable grape variety. Just two weeks after the results were announced, Vinistra, in collaboration with Decanter, is organizing the Decanter 2025 Winners Showcase by Vinistra for the second year in a row. This prestigious invite-only event will take place on 2 July at 7 PM on the beach of Kempinski Hotel Adriatic Istria Croatia.

Exclusive walk-around tasting

The event will feature Croatian wines that earned 90+ points at this year’s DWWA — that is, Silver, Gold, and Platinum medal winners. Around 200 wine professionals will enjoy an exclusive walk-around tasting of award-winning Croatian wines. The event will be further elevated by the presence of Decanter representatives, including Caroline Gilby and Beth Willard.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to promote Croatian wines and showcase our country’s evolution as a wine-producing region. Croatian wines are now earning top accolades at major international competitions, with Malvasia istriana leading in both quality and recognition. We’re proud to once again welcome such an important event to Istria in collaboration with Decanter", said Ivan Marić, Director of Vinistra, the association of Istrian winegrowers and winemakers, who recently returned from China after judging at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

Marić was one of four Vinistra members judging at the event, alongside Josip Barišić, Marko Krstačić, and Ivan Damjanić – part of a nine-member Croatian delegation.

It’s worth noting that Vinistra hosted the Concours Mondial for the first time in Croatia two years ago, and by organizing the Decanter 2025 Winners Showcase by Vinistra, it continues to affirm its leading role on the Croatian wine scene.

Among the World’s wine powerhouses

Croatia’s growing appeal among wine lovers is underscored by the large number of medals won at this year’s Decanter awards. Croatian wineries claimed 386 medals in total — including 1 Platinum, 14 Gold, 115 Silver, and 256 Bronze medals. With this result, Croatia ranks 8th globally, ahead of many countries and just behind the world’s wine giants: France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Portugal, South Africa, and Argentina.

The exclusive tasting of award-winning Croatian wines in Savudrija will showcase the exceptional quality and diversity of Croatian winemaking, supported by the Croatian National Tourist Board, Istria County Tourist Board, Umag Tourist Board, and Kempinski Hotel Adriatic Istria Croatia.