Zlatan Otok
In 1986, Zlatan Plenković started his wine journey on the island of Hvar off Croatia's Dalmatian Coast. Becoming an official winery in 1991, it was only the second private winery in Croatia formed in the wake of Yugoslavian communism.
The winery was established in a small fishing village called Sveta Nedjelja about an hour drive from Hvar City, the main city on Hvar. Zlatan was a poor fisherman who literally hustled his way to creating one of the most exciting winemaking projects in Croatia. He started by developing a humble hospitality business and making small amounts of wine for his guests. Over time through the force of his personality he convinced growers to sell him grapes on credit and expanded the business.
He eventually took on vast quantities of personal debt to build what is one of Croatian wine's great success stories. All the while the family maintained a dedication to quality winemaking making wine from vineyards in rocky hillside locations, handpicked with low yields and organic viticulture.
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