About winery
The Kaštela-based Markus Winery has an unusual history, starting as a small “garage” winery in Zagreb’s Markuševec, from which it gets its name. Its founder, Danijel Szabo, a passionate wine enthusiast, sourced Plavac Mali and Babić from the best Dalmatian vineyards, producing exclusive series of only a few hundred bottles per year. The wines quickly gained recognition in Croatia’s finest restaurants. An unexpected twist in the story occurred when Canadian Robert Young, captivated by the quality of one of Markus’s wines, decided to purchase the winery. After taking over, he relocated it to Kaštela and built a modern boutique winery, investing around 15 million euros. With the help of oenologists Slaven and Ivona Jeličić, he expanded the product range to include white wines. Today, Markus Winery owns vineyards in Kozjak, Primošten, and Šolta, where Zinfandel and Babić are planted using the traditional Old Croatian bush vine method, allowing the vines to grow freely without wires. One of the winery’s most renowned wines is Franz Ferdinand, produced in a limited series of a few hundred bottles per year. The grapes come from the Primošten vineyards in Podgreben, planted in 1914, the year of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. These stone-covered vineyards yield exceptionally high-quality grapes, reflected in the wine’s distinctive character. In addition to Franz Ferdinand, Markus produces nine other labels of red, white, and rosé wines. These include a rosé made from Grenache and Syrah, Pepejuh from Plavac Mali, O tom potom and Dan po dan from Pošip, Fetivi – a blend of Crljenak Kaštelanski and Babić, Veliko Crno – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Serendipity from Chardonnay, Pomalo – a blend of Maraština and Grk, and Babić. In May 2025, the winery opened the Markus Wine & Tasting Room in Split’s Varoš district. Housed in a renovated stone building, the tasting room blends modern minimalism with Dalmatian tradition. Guests can enjoy a unique experience, savoring Markus wines alongside local delicacies such as hand-sliced prosciutto, cheeses, olives, and freshly baked sourdough focaccia.