September 20, 2020 - The Daily Telegraph features Master of Wine Jo Ahearne, the first MW to make wine in Croatia. Grapes from Hvar, Hands from London.
One of the most interesting developments in the last few years has been the arrival of the first Master of Wine to produce wine in Croatia from indigenous Croatian varieties.
Jo Ahearne MW took the plunge back in 2014 and moved to Hvar. After years of consulting and buying wines for the likes of Marks and Spencer and Harrod's of London, she had been looking to make her very own wine, and the indigenous grapes of Hvar combined with the relaxed Croatian lifestyle seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I have known Jo since those early days and watched with awe as she has mastered her craft despite the complexities and bureaucracy of starting a wine business in Croatia.
A key early theme has been to use local grape varieties, of which Hvar has several unique sorts. Her debut wine, Rosina, a rosé made from Drnakusa, was met with critical acclaim, and she has been slowly expanding her range from there.
Perhaps her most acclaimed wine is the maceration wine 'Wild Skins', which is a blend of Posip and two Hvar varieties, Kuc and Bogdanusa (which literally translates as 'a gift from God').
I did smile to myself a couple of years ago, as Jo headed off on a wine tasting tour of note. Invitations to exclusive addresses in Tokyo, Kyoto, Melbourne and Sydney - new frontiers for the humble grapes of Hvar, inspired by the vision of a straight-talking Londoner.
After some time making wine on the south side of Hvar, Jo has moved her production to the hilltop village of Vrisnik in central Hvar, from where she runs great wine tastings, which are growing in popularity.
Media attention is also growing in this fascinating relationship between a Master of Wine and the indigenous grapes of Hvar, with today bringing perhaps the biggest exposure yet - a very well-written piece in The Daily Telegraph.
I’m lucky that Jo Ahearne agreed to speak to me during harvest. Winemakers are always hard-pressed when the grapes are being picked, so it’s no surprise that our chat is aborted a couple of times. “It’s all going crazy here as all the whites have decided to come in at the same time. Normally they form an orderly queue,” she messages from the Croatian island of Hvar, a haven of pine trees and lavender fields in the Adriatic, where she has been making wine since 2014. Another day we’re emailing at 4am.
Read the full story in The Daily Telegraph here.
For more information about Ahearne Vino, check out the official Facebook page.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages
April 1, 2020 - Do foreigners in Croatia feel more or less safe sitting out COVID-19 here than in their home country, and what are their experiences? A new series on TCN, with Jo Ahearne from London on Hvar as our 7th contributor.
Oxford University recently published some research on government responses to coronavirus which showed that Croatia currently has the strictest measures in the world. While inconvenient, this is a good thing in terms of reducing the spread of the virus, and I am certainly not alone in my admiration of the official Croatian handling of this crisis in recent weeks, both in terms of action and communication.
But what do other expats here think? And how does it compare with the response in their home country? Would they rather sit this one out here or there? In the first of a new series on TCN, we will be featuring expats from all over the world to see what their views are on life in corona Croatia rather than back home. Having started with an excellent contribution from Romanian Mirela Rus, American/Irishman Jason Berry, Tin Bojanic from Argentine and Gabriela Lopez Zubiria from Mexico, all in Split, Steve Gaunt in an English pub in a field in the middle of nowhere near Vinkovci, Barbara Grauning from Munich in Istria - a first look at self-isolation on a Croatian island, thanks to Master of Wine Jo Ahearne, who is feeling a little safer in Stari Grad on Hvar than Borisland...
If you would like to contribute to this series, full details are below. Now, over to Jo.
Last night before self-isolation.
I think sanity levels really change not just day to day but at times hour to hour. I live alone in an apartment in Stari Grad. I’m lucky as it has a nice south-facing balcony with a view over the town and the hills. That makes a huge difference. I oscillate between panic and acceptance to be fair. I’ve pretty much run out of wine to sell and can’t bottle new vintages so that’s an issue but the world is full of closed restaurants so there’s no customers anyhow. I consult in Sicily and India so that’s ground to a halt as well. But I know there are so many people in much more dire situations and with Spring arriving at least the sun is there to warm you up and cheer your spirit. And I have my daily walks by the sea to bring me some sanity.
To be honest I’ve found out most of my information from the great interview you did with Mirela the other day and am looking into if I can apply for help. If I can it will save me big time. The Croatian government seems to be acting swiftly.
I think when the Italian government put the first eleven municipalities into quarantine in February really made me sit up and take notice that it was going to be a global problem.
Super impressed with how Vili Beros and Alemka Markotic are communicating and being pro-active. Early self isolation for travellers from infected regions swiftly followed by imposition of quarantine for those people.Super impressed with how Vili Beros and Alemka Markotic are communicating and being pro-active.
Clarity of which regions are to be quarantined and which self isolated. Closing the schools on 13th March followed by restaurants, bars, shops etc and public transport less than a week later. At that time there hadn’t been any deaths and very few positive tests. Acting so quickly, decisively and firmly has saved many lives.
I definitely feel safe. At first people were still congregating. You could see people all sitting on the terraces of closed cafés chatting. Supermarkets didn’t use gloves when handling food. But really quickly that changed. Now only 3 people are allowed in a shop at one time, everyone wears gloves, you get your hands sanitised on entry and (mostly) people obey the 2m rule if you do happen to come across someone while you’re out.
No one is panic buying on the island. I just would not be able to keep such a distance in London however much people are now trying to do so. Too many people and not enough space.
The UK has been a total disaster Boris Johnson should be ashamed of himself. His party has systematically undermined and underfunded the NHS for a decade and now he has exhibited such a cavalier attitude it’s frightening. He merrily told everyone he was shaking hands with people with coronavirus. Talk about lead by example!
He makes jokes about ‘operation last gasp’ when discussing to production of much-needed ventilators while his government stated they refused to take part in an EU order that would have seen 30,000 machines come to the UK because we are no longer part of the EU. Then days later when they realised the population were a tad upset they put Brexit before breathing they changed the story and said the ‘email from the EU got lost’.
And then there was the concept of ‘herd immunity’ he spouted for a few weeks till someone did the maths in anticipated number of deaths from this approach and that was quietly sidelined. Ditto ‘people at home don’t need to be tested’ followed a few weeks later by we shall ramp up testing to 25,000 a day’. Meanwhile staff at hospitals don’t have enough masks and protective clothing. Or indeed tests.
Even the FA suspended Premiership football by 13th March while on the 16th Johnson was still advising people best not to travel and to work from home. Businesses were begging him to make a clear policy so they could act. At this time there was still only 35 deaths. He didn’t close schools till the 18th, bars etc on the 20th and lockdown not till 23rd. As of today there have been 2,352 deaths - a rise of 563 on the previous day.
I think I’ve covered that above. It’s the lack of leadership in the UK, the lack of clarity, the lack of decisiveness and the lack of empathy. Meanwhile here I’ve seen the complete opposite. Obviously I’m reading translations from the team at TCN but I feel the tone is supportive and empathetic. Great job on keeping the non-Croatian speaking residents up to speed by the way.
It’s not realistic to have all my family and friends with me in isolation so I guess it’d be a time machine so I could go back to give everyone the biggest hug before we all got locked away.
I pretty much had two years of isolation when I first moved to Hvar so I had already learnt that I am a social being and need people. I guess I’ve realised how ever much I tell myself I’ll read all those books I end up binge-watching Netflix like the sloth that I am. I think we all knew that the human race is a dichotomy. We see acts of selflessness equally balanced by people behaving selfishly - be it panic buying or continuing to go out. The one thing that I has surprised me is the world’s obsession with toilet paper.....
Thanks Jo, stay safe and see you on the other side. We will all be ready for a bottle or three of quality vino when this is all over, and there are few bottles better than the range produced by Jo Ahearne MW - have a look and follow at what lies in store at Ahearne Vino Facebook Page.
You can find more foreigner corona stories in our dedicated section here.
TCN is starting a new feature series on foreign experiences of sitting out covid-19 here in Croatia compared to their home country. If you would like to contribute, the questions are below. Please also include a para about yourself and where you are from, and a link to your website if you would like. Please also send 3-4 photos minimum to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Corona Foreigner
If you would be interested to record a video version for our partners www.rplus.video please let us know in the email. Thanks and stay safe.
Foreigners Self-Isolating in Croatia: Do You Feel Safer Than in Your Home Country?
Firstly, how are you? Are you alone/with someone? Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.
What do you think about the economic measures the government is taking, are they helping your business? (PLEASE IGNORE IF THIS DOES NOT AFFECT YOU)
When did you realise that corona was going to be a big issue?
What is your impression of the way Croatia is dealing with the crisis? How safe do you feel?
Now compare that to your home country and how they are handling it. What is Croatia doing better/worse?
What about official communications from the authorities, compared to your home country?
What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation.
One thing you have learned about yourself, and one thing you have learned about others during this crisis.
TCN has recently become a partner in Robert Tomic Zuber's new R+ video channel, initially telling stories about corona experiences. You can see the first TCN contribution from this morning, my video from Jelsa talking about the realities of running a news portal in the corona era below. If you would like to also submit a video interview, please find Robert's guidelines below
VIDEO RECORDING GUIDE
The video footage should be recorded so that the cell phone is turned horizontally (landscape mode).
There are several rules for television and video news:- length is not a virtue- a picture speaks more than a thousand words
In short, this would mean that your story should not last more than 90 seconds and that everything you say in the report should be shown by video (for example, if you talk about empty streets, we should see those empty streets, etc.).
How to do it with your cell phone? First, use a selfie camera to record yourself telling your story for about a minute and a half. Ideally, it would be taken in the exterior, except in situations where you are reporting on things in the interior (quarantine, hospital, self-isolation, etc.). Also, when shooting, move freely, make sure everything is not static.
After you have recorded your report, you should capture footage that will tell your story with a picture, such as an earlier example with empty streets.
One of the basic rules of TV journalism is that the story is told in the same way as a journalist with his text. Therefore, we ask you for additional effort. Because we work in a very specific situation, sometimes you may not be able to capture footage for each sentence of the report. In this case, record the details on the streets: people walking, the main features of the city where you live, inscriptions on the windows related to the virus, etc.
The same rules apply if you are shooting a story from your apartment, self-isolation, quarantine. We also need you to capture footage that describes your story.
When shooting frames to cover your reports, it is important that you change the angle of the shot (in other words, shoot that empty street from several angles). Also, when shooting a detail, count at least five seconds before removing the camera to another detail.
The material should be about 5 minutes long (90 seconds of your report + frames to cover your story).
After recording everything, send us to Zagreb, preferably via WeTransfer to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
July 9, 2019 - The Croatian wine scene welcomed its first resident Master of Wine in 2014, as Jo Ahearne MW moved from London to Hvar. Since then her wines from Hvar grape varieties have been a hit nationally and internationally. Here is how you can taste them.
It’s been just under five years since Australian-trained winemaker and Master of Wine Jo Ahearne first came to Hvar to start her eponymous winery Ahearne Vino. And what a five years it’s been - her Plavac Mali, ‘South Side’, was voted number five in Decanter magazine’s top Balkan red wines; her rosé, Rosina (named after her mother), was voted both in the top five influential Croatian wines by Saša Špiranec and expert’s tip in Decanter magazine; her amber wine, Wild Skins, awarded 90 points by Decanter magazine and voted in the top ten Croatian wines by Kult Plave Kamenice while the same publication awarded her Pošip 93 points.
Now ensconced in the old co-operative building in the beautiful hilltop village of Vrisnik with four wines under the Ahearne Vino banner, Jo has gone from strength to strength. Exporting Croatian wine to seven countries (with two more coming up soon), she has now prepared the winery to receive visitors this summer. So I thought it was time for the man who was responsible for introducing her to the island of Hvar to see what all the fuss was and go and enjoy one of her in-depth ‘geek tastings’.
I’d spoken to Sarah Jane Begonja from Chasing the Donkey blog about the Villa tasting Jo had done in Zadar a few months back and laughed when she’d told me one of the guests hadn’t invited his girlfriend because he ‘didn’t realise how much fun it’d be’. I guess many people would assume a tasting held by an MW (there are more astronauts than Masters of Wine) would be all wordy and worthy with at least one test paper at the end!
I can certainly concur - Jo has a great capacity to educate people about food and wine by using simple language that normal people can relate to and understand. And if you want to talk football and West Ham United, you have come to the right winery.
(Jo in Kyoto on her recent tour of Japan and Australia - she exports her Hvar wines to both countries)
But not to fear, the tasting is full of humour with stories from Jo’s time in Croatia and from her work around the world. We tasted wine from her barrels and tanks while she explained where the grapes came from and how everything is made. She made it seem a lot more straightforward than it probably is! We then moved outside to grab a chair, look at the amazing view of the Hvar mountains and taste through her bottled wines.
(Jo relaxing with Split expats last summer after conducting a tasting on board)
Of course, Jo does less in-depth tastings of just her bottled wines and, in recognition that some people just don’t want to leave the pool, she brings the tasting to your villa or yacht. But for those who want to really get to grips with the island and its wines she has a four-wheel drive vineyard tour, tasting and lunch - after that you might even be inspired to start the Master of Wine journey yourself......
(Jo conducting one of her private villa tastings on Hvar)
And so to the tasting in her winery in Vrisnik, which has a lovely rustic feel, as well as divine mountain views. Vrisnik is an inland village about 3km from Jelsa and 7km from Stari Grad. An authentic and quiet Dalmatian village where you can taste great wines made from Hvar grape varieties crafted by hands from London. All fab. In order to be a bit more useful to the reader, I asked Jo to tell us a little about her wines:
(Photo credit Mirko Crncevic)
Rosina - made from Darnekuša, a nearly extinct variety which brings elegance, freshness and complexity to rosé. Raspberry and cherry flavours with a great structure and texture from 8 months lees contact.
Wild Skins - fermenting local varieties on skins brings more flavour and structure than would normally exist. Quince and pear with a hint of toast and honey. Fresh but textured and complex.
South Side Plavac Mali - using only fruit from the best sites on the steep, southern hills, this wine is more elegant and perfumed than many Plavac Mali. Relying on gentle, hand extraction and ageing in refined, low key French oak barrels for 18 Months the South Side has supple tannins with raspberry, plum flavours and a hint of chocolate and the aromas of hillside herbs.
Pošip - lemon and white peach with an underlying toasty note from an element of barrel fermentation in old French barrique. Smooth texture from 9 month sur lie and a gentle kick of spice from a little skin contact.
A really fun, educational and completely unsnobbish wine tasting experience from the only Master of Wine in Croatia.
You can contact Jo on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 00385 917664515 or follow Ahearne Vino on Facebook.
April 12, 2019 - Gourmet heaven in Spring, as historic Korcula comes alive with the Korculanske Pjatance Spring Food and Wine Festival.
It was without doubt the nice thing we did as a family last year.
And if someone asked me to cherry pick a Croatian gourmet experience, I don't think I could have done better than a 5-course special at arguably Croatia's leading luxury boutique hotel, Lesic Dimitri, whose restaurant is in the Michelin Guide, with wines from Bire, who was coincidentally celebrating 20 years of his iconic Lumbarda winery, most famous for its Grk. A perfect introduction to a fabulous food and wine festival on Korcula, which this year returns from April 26-30. You can read about the opening night here.
Tara's Lodge in early MayTara's Lodge in early May with such glorious Korcula weather - it was impossible to get the kids to get in the car back to Varazdin. And the workshops! My kids adored the homemade pasta masterclass at Filippi, and foraging for herbs with pastry chef Petra Jelicic before learning how to use them to make some outstanding desserts in another Michelin-rated restaurant - Konoba Mate in Pupnat.
Could that outstanding programme be bettered? Impossible! Or so you would think. But this year's programme looks tantilising indeed. Check out the press release and programme below.
And I know that we Brits are not famous for our food (at least in terms of high quality), but what a fantastic opening night combination to start the festival. British owner of Lesic Dimitri will be the host, and Londoner Jo Ahearne MW, the only Master of Wine in Croatia, will make the short journey from her adopted home on Hvar, to sort the wines.
This is a truly fabulous event - don't miss it.
SPRING FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL KORČULANSKE PJATANCE
Dino Galvagno, Hrvoje Zirojević, Jo Ahearne, Marko Gajski, Biljana Milat, Lucija Tomašić, Damir Šarić and others famous names of the Croatian food and wine scene, will be our guests at the third edition of the Spring Food and Wine Festival Korčulanske Pjatance, which will be held from 26th to 30th April, organized by Korčula’s finest restaurants.
Korčulanske pjatance is already recognized by the profession and the media. Last year we offered creative plates defined within the framework of modern Croatian cuisine, with additional guest appearances from people like the famous chefs David Skoko and Steven Pieters, or pastry chef Petra Jelinić.
This year, masterclasses will be held by some of the most famous names of Croatian culinary art, chef Dino Galvagno who is in top 10 Croatian chefs, chef Hrvoje Zirojević, recently established as the chef of the year in the Gault&Millau, gourmet guide and successful young pastry chef Lucija Tomašić. The art of making homemade bread will be presented by Damir Šarić, and Jo Ahearne, a British Master of Wine who lives in Croatia will preside over our Wine Night with her personal selection of the best wines from Korčula.
All the Festival visitors will enjoy our Chef’s creativity, great seasonal produce and the finest local wines at special prices.
The Korčulanske Pjatance Association brings together the finest Korčula restaurant: Adio Mare, Aterina, Barić, Filippi, LD Restaurant, Marco's, Nonno, Radiona, Konoba Maha, Konoba Mate as well as OPG Eko Škoj, a producer of organic local olive oils, jams and herbs. They all take their inspiration from locally grown, seasonal food and herbs.
This year's Festival will see collaboration with the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula, which will host masterclasses in their well-equipped demonstration kitchen.
The value and importance of the Festival and Korčula's gastronomic offer has once again been recognized by the most prestigious global gastronomic guide Michelin which for the second year in a row has assigned three recommendations, for LD Restaurant, Filippi Restaurant and Konoba Mate. Together with our visiting experts local chefs will be presented, primarily chef Marko Gajski, a participant in this year's Chef's Stage in Šibenik, Biljana Milana who recently won the prestigious Gault&Millau award for pastry chef of the year, and the Slow Food Pelješac Association, whose members will hold a workshop for children. Participants will also take part in a cocktail workshop in cooperation with Coca Cola and an education course on local olive oils.
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Korčula and surrounding places
26 – 30 April 2019
26.04.2019.
11.00
Konoba Maha
Official opening of the festival with presentation of participants, business partners and other associates – for invitees of festival and public media
15.00
Cocktail Workshop – Powered by Coca Cola
19.00
LD Restaurant
Korčula in the Bottle – five-course dinner with wine choices by Jo Ahearne - Master of Wine
27.04.2019.
11.00
Bistro Radiona
The Art of Brunch – traditional brunch of Korčula
14.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Pastry shop Mala Truba – healthy desserts and bread made of homemade yeast and whole-wheat flour workshop
19.00
Konoba Maha
Guest chef Dino Galvagno – multi-course dinner with wine
28.04.2019.
9.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Masterclass: Wild Edibles & Entrails – chef Dino Galvagno
19.00
Korčulanske pjatance
Lagoon Regata – dinner for regatta participants
29.04.2019.
11.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Slow Food Peljesac Association – Lecture and workshop for children
15.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Masterclass: Sea on the Plate – chef Hrvoje Zirojević
19.00
Aterina Restaurant
City museum of Korčula – Culture of nutrition through history of Korčula, lecture powered by Aterina snacks
30.04.2019.
10.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Eko Škoj and Sensory analysts of Korčula island – presentation, tasting and education about olive oils of Korčula island
19.00
A joint dinner of all “Pjatance” participants for all gourmets
23.00
Festival After Party
November 20, 2018 - Jo Ahearne is the first Master of Wine to make wine in Croatia, and now her indigenous Hvar wines are en route to Japan.
I don't even dare ask how she did it.
Croatian bureaucracy has featured a lot on TCN in recent weeks, as we have been highlighting some of the absurdities of life here, as well as issues foreigners are experiencing trying to get residence permits. But every once in a while, there is a heartwarming tale of success against all the odds, and this one is really worth celebrating.
I first met Jo Ahearne MW 4-5 years ago at the Dalmacija Wine Expo trade fair, as we ended up sitting on the back row of Sasa Spiranec's excellent masterclass of the 2011 Plavac Mali vintage. Soon after, Jo Ahearne made the pioneering decision to move to the island of Hvar to make wines from the various indigenous grapes of the island, kicking off with a delightful rose from the Darnekusa grape, Rosina.
And while it didn't take Ahearne long to become noticed in the world of wine in Croatia, scoring 93/100 with her first ever Posip, and having her Wild Skins included in the best ten wines in Croatia last year, the more fascinating story for me was how she managed to navigate the bureaucracy and wine world in rural Croatia, and still succeed.
It was a brave move indeed to move to a country with not a word of the language and head to live on an island, and not even one of the main centres of population. All that would have been manageable, without the additional joys of Croatian paperwork, from permits to say to getting the right labels. Many is the time over the last few years that Jo and I have swapped frustrations over the crazy bureaucracy here over a beer. But while others gave up, Jo Ahearne kept on going strong. I truly hope she starts a wine blog about her adventures here - it would make fascinating and very entertaining reading. For all the problems, Jo has come across helpful officials on her journey who have helped enormously.
Getting the wine into the bottle is one huge milestone, getting it to the market yet one more, but actually managing to negotiate the paperwork for export to Japan (she is shipping Rosina, Plavac and Wild Skins) from her tiny Hvar winery in the village of Vrisnik is a phenomenal achievement, perhaps one that can only be fully appreciated by residents of the madhouse we know as The Beautiful Croatia. In addition to Australia next, exports to USA, Belgium, Germany, Slavonia, Serbia and UK will follow in early 2019.
Congratulations, Jo, very impressive on so many levels. And I do encourage you to check out Ahearne Wines and the sale and tasting options at Ahearne Vino on Hvar - a fantastic experience. You can follow Jo Ahearne's wine adventure in Croatia on the Ahearne Vino Facebook page.
An evening for true wine connoisseurs.
On the 25th October 2017, we attended a wine tasting at Wine and Cheese Bar Paradox with Jo Ahearne, the only Master of Wine to make wine in Croatia.
The Pošip sur lie by Madam Ahearne belongs among the most character Dalmatian white wines in general
Today's fun and useless fact is that there are more astronauts than Masters of Wine in the world. So now you know.
There are in fact just over 300 Masters of Wine, so when one of them pops into your wine bar and has a positive experience, it is worth writing about, which is what happened recently at Split's original wine bar, Paradax, at MW Jo Ahearne dropped to soak up a little Croatian wine atmosphere and sample a glass of sparkling Tomac.
I first met Jo at Dalmacija Wine Expo in Split earlier this year, after which I interviewed her for Google News. We have been in touch a lot since, and Jo is currently on Hvar looking at wine-making possibilities on Croatia's premier island, including the delightful possibility that she might be able to get her hands on the 2014 grapes from the oldest plavac mali vineyard in the world. She is pictured above being interviewed by Croatian national television at last night's Hvar Wine Assocation tasting in Vrboska.
Jo told me that she had stumbled upon Paradox on her visit, and left with an extremely positive impression of the atmosphere, wine, service and considerable knowledge of the staff.
Why not check out Paradox for yourself and find out why it is consistently at the top of Split's TripAdvisor ratings? Follow them on Facebook.
Poljana Tina Ujevića 2
09:00 - 00:00
021 395 854
The potential of our of Europe's most exciting wine regions is mirrored in its domestic consumption.