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The results are in!
The prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) for 2025 have once again confirmed the outstanding quality of Croatian wines. At the world’s most influential wine competition, our winemakers proved they belong at the very top, earning one Platinum, an impressive 14 Gold, and hundreds of Silver and Bronze medals.
This is a triumph that celebrates the quality, hard work, and unique terroir of Croatia.
The Pinnacle of Achievement: Platinum for San Salvatore!
The absolute winner and pride of the Croatian scene is Benvenuti Winery from Istria. Their sweet Muscat, San Salvatore 2019, won a Platinum medal with an incredible 97 points. A Platinum is only awarded to wines that first win Gold and then, in a separate re-tasting, prove to be the best in their category with a score of an outstanding 97 to 100 points. This highest honor from Decanter, reserved only for the world’s best wines, confirms San Salvatore as a true world-class gem.
A Golden Generation of Croatian Wines
A Gold medal at Decanter is every winemaker’s dream, awarded only to wines that reach the threshold of 95 or 96 points. This year, an incredible 14 Croatian wines made that dream a reality:
Istria as a Beacon of Quality:
- Winery Fakin – La Prima Malvazija 2023
- Winery Kozlović – Santa Lucia Malvazija 2018
- Winery Bernobić – Malvazija 2024
- Winery Bruno Ferenac – Malvazija Istarska 2023
- Winery Frankovic – Korona Malvazija 2019
Dalmatia Shows Its Strength and Diversity:
- Winery Testament – Plavac Mali 2018
- Winery Galić – Dalmatian Ego Pošip 2023
- Winery Fiolić – Maraština 2020
- Winery Hvar Hills – Merlot 2022
- Winery Hvar Hills – Syrah 2022
- Winery Tasovac – GRK Selection 2023
- Winery Zure – Reventón Sur Lie GRK 2023
- Winery Zure – Quinta Essentia GRK Brut 2016
- Winery Casa Boschi – Pošip 2023
Analysis of Success: What the Medals Tell Us
Beyond the impressive numbers, the results reveal several key trends:
- Istria’s Confirmation: Istria has once again proven it is a leader in producing premium, stylistically defined wines, especially Malvasia Istriana.
- Dalmatia’s Potential: Dalmatia showcased incredible breadth, from powerful red wines to elegant and complex white varieties like Pošip and Grk. Among the hundreds of medals, one particularly stands out for pushing boundaries: the historic Bronze medal for the Dalmatian Sauvignon Blanc from Winery Brid.
- The Power of Native Grapes: The vast majority of the winning wines are made from Croatia’s indigenous grape varieties, which is the best possible promotion of our unique wine identity.
Plan Your Champion’s Tour!
The best way to celebrate these successes is to experience the award-winning wines for yourself. Here’s how you can use our site to plan your visit:
Explore the Winners
Click on the name of any winery in the list above to visit their profile page. There you can learn more about their history, other wines they offer, and find the key contact information to arrange a visit.
Find Them on Our Map
Want to see where these champions are located and what other wineries are nearby? Visit our Wineries search page and use the Map View to visualize their locations and start planning your next wine adventure.
Congratulations to all the winning winemakers! Your hard work and passion make us incredibly proud.
Cheers!