Croats in the World

CROATS MADE INTERNATIONAL WINE EMPIRE IN NEW ZEALAND 

Over the last fifty years, fourteen Dalmatians (Croats from the southern region of Croatia) created an international wine empire in New Zealand. Not only did New Zealanders learn to drink wine instead of whisky and beer, but they also enlarged wine production to such an extent that now they compete in quality and quantity with the world's largest wine-producing powers, the United States, France, Italy and neighboring Australia. Breaking the wall of resistance put up by whisky and beer producers, who were protected by state laws, was no easy task. New Zealand ranks third on the list of beer consumers, with 120 liters per inhabitant, only slightly behind Germany and Belgium. At the time when Croatian immigrants planted the first grape vines in New Zealand, annual wine consumption in the country was 1.5 liters. Now it has reached 15.5 liters, while wine-producers expect to attain 256 liters per inhabitant. Today in Auckland if you say you?re from Croatia, people will nod their heads and say, "Ah, Nobilo." The most renowned Croat in New Zealand is 86-year old Nikola Nobilo, the fourth largest wine producer in the country, whose wines are consumed throughout Western Europe, Japan and the United States. Driving along the main highway from Auckland to Helensville, to the northern part of the northern island, to the left beside the by-road leading to Nobilo?s mansion stands a high mast waving the flags of New Zealand and Croatia. The beautiful house and winery are located near Henderson, a part of a huge Auckland district with the most Croats. Here there is a representative wine boutique with walls bearing pictures of Lumbarde, on the island of Korcula, whence Nobilo came to New Zealand. Among these relics there is a conspicuous large picture of Nikola Nobilo in front of his parents? house, sitting on a donkey and clad in a work clothes as if heading for the vineyards. (Jutarnji list)

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