London, February 29, 2016 – The Institute of Masters of Wine has announced five new Members who have joined the Institute, including for the first time a Croatian.
More people have been in space than there are Masters of Wine. It has been a long wait, but finally a Croatian-born Master of Wine is here. Ivan Barbić, born in Croatia and working now in Switzerland, has joined the prestigous ranks of the Institute members and can now attach the coveted letters “MW” after his name.
After today, the Master of Wine title is held by a total of 344 wine experts from 25 countries.
Interestingly, there is currently a Master of Wine making wine in Croatia, and consulting for wineries in the region. Englishwoman Jo Ahearne has started a boutique winery on Hvar island. We will surely be hearing more about her.
While there are at least two Masters of Wine with Croatian roots, Michael Brajkovich and Paul Tudor, coincidentally both from New Zealand, no native born Croatian, or indeed anyone from South Eastern Europe has ever become a Master of Wine.
Ivan Barbić‘s official biography from the Masters of Wine Institute:
Ivan Barbić MW was born in Zagreb, Croatia and grew up and completed his education in Switzerland. He graduated as a food technology engineer at the ETH Zurich with a diploma thesis at the Research Station for Viticulture, Agroscope in Wädenswil, about wine flavour analysis. He has been working for almost twenty-five years in the wine business. First, in wine research at Agroscope in Wädenswil, then as sales manager for oenology products. After that he has worked as wine buyer for Coop, Head of the purchase department for Bataillard, Head of Product Management wine for Denner and now as strategic buyer for Bataillard. His independent activities include consulting for different wine producers in Switzerland, Spain and Croatia, acting as chairman of the Maître Conseil en Vins de France 2006 – 2008, and writing for magazines including Schweizerische Weinzeitung, Vinum, and the Croatian food and wine magazine iće & piće
What the dry official language does not say, is that there will be one special person on Hvar island celebrating tonight. Croatia’s leading garage winemaker Ivo Duboković has always said that Barbić was his mentor and advisor, and Duboković’s top wine, Medvid, states it is from Duboković and Barbić.
Read the full press release from the Masters of Wine Institute here
