From hard work to hard proof

Fakin began in the Bataji village, below Motovun, with four hectares, a garage, and a firm belief that the Motovun hill could produce wines worth taking seriously. What followed was years of hard work, calculated risks, precise decisions, and standards that kept rising. Today, that hard work has become hard proof: Fakin holds more wine awards than any other Croatian winery. And the best is yet to come.

The work behind the wine

Elio Fakin spent decades as a grape grower, cultivating the land and selling the fruit. Marko grew up in those rows, learning the work by hand season after season. In 2010, Marko chose to take the next step: not only to grow the grapes, but to make the wine. He began with four hectares, a strong point of view, and everything still to prove.

What began as a small family project grew, quickly and deliberately, into one of Croatia’s most decorated wineries, with vineyards expanding to 30 hectares, with plans to build a new cellar. The rise was not accidental. It came from a steady ambition backed by courage, formal wine training, and a refusal to bottle anything that did not deserve the Fakin name.

The work in the vineyard and cellar is built on discipline and precision. Multiple rounds of green harvesting, organic soil management, and strict yield reduction ensure that only the clean core reaches the bottle, the heart of the wine. Marko, a trained oenologist, oversees every step of that process himself. Technique here serves the vineyard, providing the support it needs to speak for itself.

The family is behind every step . Marko is in the vineyard. Bety leads the operation and hospitality part of the business. Their children are already growing up between the vines and the tasting room.

Ambicija Fakina je jasna: staviti Motovun i istarska vina na svjetsku kartu stvaranjem terana i malvazije koji ostaju vjerni ovom podneblju i cijenjeni diljem svijeta.

Our vineyards

Motovun is not just a backdrop. It is our signature, the reason our wines taste the way they do.

Our vineyards stretch across 30 hectares around Bataji and Brkač, above the Mirna valley, on white, stony soils rich in limestone and shale. Constant breezes, strong sunlight, and this distinct terrain give our wines their freshness, minerality, and edge. This is where Malvazija, Teran, and Muškat find their natural expression.

Some sites speak more distinctly than others.

Monte Bred, at around 200 meters above sea level, gives both Malvazija and Teran lift and mineral shape. Flaminio, our old-vine Teran parcel planted in 1972, is the backbone of Il Primo. Komarso gives us La Prima, a Malvazija with depth, texture, and length.

Come to the source

Our tasting room brings together the best of Fakin and Motovun in one place: precise wines with Istrian rootedness, family-like hospitality, and a wide-open view of Motovun. On the terrace, with a glass in hand, you can taste the hill for yourself through our wines and a selection of Istrian specialties.

Each tasting is designed to feel both relaxed and revealing. We guide guests through our indigenous varieties, our wines, and food pairings that bring the flavors and rhythms of Motovun life to the table.

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AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

We take pride in the numerous awards we've received for our wines. Alongside our commitment to producing high-quality wines, we've earned recognition and accolades from various prestigious wine competitions and critics:

  • Our winery is the only Croatian winery to have received a gold medal at the Decanter, the world's largest and most significant wine competition, for six consecutive years.
  • Teran from the 2022 harvest was champion and the highest-rated Teran at Vinistra 2023, along with gold medals for Teran Il Primo 2019 (92 points), Teran Il Primo 2020 (91 points), Muscat Yellow 2022 (91 points), also the highest-rated yellow muscat at Vinistra, Malvasia La Prima 2020 and 2021 (91 points), and Teran Il Primo from the Flaminio micro-location in 2022 (90 points).
  • Silver and bronze medals, as well as high ratings, at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards 2023.
  • Fakin Chardonnay received a gold medal at the 30th edition of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.
  • Teran Il Primo from the 2019 harvest received an impressive 95 points from Wine Enthusiast, a leading American wine industry magazine, and one of the most influential globally.
  • The prestigious "Judges' Selection Medal-Other Global White" award for fresh Istrian Malvasia 2020 at the Texsom International Wine Awards 2022 (Texas, USA).
  • 9 gold medals at international wine competitions - Vinistra 2021 and World Malvasia 2021. Silver medals for Malvasia and Malvasia La Prima at the International Wine Challenge 2020.
  • Silver medals for Malvasia and Malvasia La Prima at the International Wine Challenge 2020.
  • The "Vinum Laureatum" award for Il Primo - the best Croatian red wine of 2019.
  • The award for the best Teran at the 10th Festival of Teran and Truffles in 2019.
  • Vinart regional winery of the year in Istria and Kvarner in 2018.
  • The award for the best Teran at the 9th Festival of Teran and Truffles in 2018.
  • A silver medal for Malvasia La Prima from the 2016 harvest at the prestigious Decanter competition in 2018.
  • The "Best Young Teran" award and ten gold medals at the 25th Vinistra.
  • The "Corona" award for exceptional quality for Istrian Malvasia from the 2016 harvest.
  • The "Champion of Mature Malvasias" award for Malvasia La Prima from the 2015 harvest and a gold medal in the category of fresh Malvasias for Istrian Malvasia from 2016 at the 2017 Malvasia Festival in Slovenia.
  • Three gold medals for Teran, Malvasia, and Rose at the PAR Wine Award International in 2017.
  • The audience's choice for Fakin Teran as the best wine at the 7th Festival of Teran and Truffles in 2016.