Balkan Wine Has Arrived: Native Grapes Steal the Show at Decanter 2026
Balkan wine has had a landmark year.
At the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards, wines from Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia & Herzegovina delivered some of the region's strongest results yet, with indigenous Balkan grape varieties including Plavac Mali, Prokupac, Refošk and Žilavka standing alongside some of the world's most celebrated wines.
For Australian wine drinkers, it's another reason to look beyond Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Grigio.
The Balkans are home to hundreds of native and regional grape varieties, centuries-old wine regions and a new generation of producers increasingly gaining international recognition.
And in 2026, the wine world took notice.
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(Photo: Decanter World Wine Awards/Press)
Croatia Leads a Huge Year for Balkan Wine
Croatian wine delivered one of the standout performances of the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards, collecting 40 top medals: one Best in Show, five Platinum medals and 34 Gold medals. At the very top was Marijan Plaža Plavac 2021 from Hvar, awarded 97 points and Best in Show.
The wine is made entirely from Plavac Mali, Croatia's signature red grape and one of the most important indigenous grape varieties of the Dalmatian coast.
For Australians unfamiliar with Plavac Mali, think powerful Mediterranean red wine: ripe dark fruit, dried fig, herbs and spice, backed by plenty of structure.
It's a variety that can appeal to Australian drinkers who enjoy full-bodied Shiraz, Grenache and other warm-climate reds, while offering something distinctly Croatian.
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Another Plavac Mali, Markus Pepejuh Plavac Mali 2019, was awarded 97 points and Platinum, reinforcing the variety's position among Croatia's most exciting red grapes.
Croatia's Platinum-winning wines included:
- Bastiàn Marchiori Malvazija Istarska 2023 — 97 points, Platinum
- Bruno Ferenac Malvazija 2024 — 97 points, Platinum
- Iločki Podrumi Izborna Berba Prosušenih Bobica Traminac 2023 — 97 points, Platinum
- Markus Pepejuh Plavac Mali 2019 — 97 points, Platinum
- Zure Elysion 2016 — 97 points, Platinum
The results show just how diverse Croatian wine has become.
From Malvazija in Istria to Plavac Mali on the sun-soaked islands and slopes of Dalmatia, Croatia isn't defined by one grape, one climate or one style of wine.
Want to explore Croatian wine?
Podrum stocks a growing collection of Croatian wine in Australia, including Plavac Mali, Pošip, Graševina, Rukatac, Traminac and other wines from across Croatia.
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Serbia Puts Prokupac on the World Stage
Serbian wine also enjoyed a major year at Decanter 2026, collecting three Platinum medals.
The winners were:
- Aleksandrović Kameničarka Prokupac 2022, Oplenac — 97 points, Platinum
- Deurić La Rem Chardonnay 2023, Fruška Gora — 97 points, Platinum
- Matalj Kremen Kamen 2021, Negotinska Krajina — 97 points, Platinum
Perhaps the most important result for Serbian wine was Prokupac.
Prokupac is one of Serbia's great indigenous red grape varieties and has experienced a significant revival as Serbian winemakers explore the potential of native grapes and historic vineyard sites.
And that's what makes the result so interesting.
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot can be produced almost anywhere.
Prokupac is unmistakably Serbian.
Its international recognition gives Australian wine drinkers another reason to explore Serbian wine beyond familiar international varieties.
For a more accessible introduction to Prokupac, Podrum also stocks Serbian wines made with the grape, including traditional styles that combine Prokupac and Vranac.
Slovenia's Refošk Breakthrough
Slovenia collected two Platinum medals at Decanter 2026.
One went to the remarkable Puklavec Family Wines Jeruzalem Ormož Spätlese Edition 2 Welschriesling 1993.
The other represented an important milestone for Slovenian red wine.
Steras Refošk 2024 from Primorska received 97 points and Platinum, becoming the first red Istrski Refošk to achieve Platinum at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Refošk is deeply connected to the northern Adriatic wine culture stretching through Slovenia, Croatian Istria and neighbouring Italy.
It's a perfect example of why Balkan and Central European wine can be difficult to understand through modern borders alone.
Wine has been produced across these regions for centuries, and grape varieties, families and winemaking traditions often cross today's national boundaries.
That history is particularly visible around Slovenia's border with Italy, where some of Europe's most exciting white and natural wines are now being produced.
Australian drinkers can also explore producers such as Movia, including Slovenian Rebula, Malvasia, Pinot Grigio and other wines from the Brda region.
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Bosnia & Herzegovina Has Its Best Gold Performance Yet
Another major story came from Bosnia & Herzegovina, which achieved its best-ever Gold medal performance at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
At the centre of that success was one grape:
Žilavka.
Among the standout wines were:
- Vino Milas Žilavka 2024 — 96 points, Gold
- Vilinka Selekcija Žilavka 2025 — 95 points, Gold
- Vinogradi Nuić Žilavka 2025 — 95 points, Gold
Žilavka is one of Herzegovina's signature indigenous white varieties.
Traditionally grown around Mostar and the surrounding Herzegovinian wine country, it can produce fresh yet textured white wines with citrus, stone fruit, herbs and mineral character.
For Australian drinkers who normally reach for Pinot Grigio, Riesling or other fresh European whites, grapes such as Žilavka offer an entirely new direction to explore.
Don't Forget Graševina
While Plavac Mali, Prokupac, Refošk and Žilavka attracted attention in the 2026 results, they're part of a much bigger story.
One of the most important white grapes across this part of Europe is Graševina.
Particularly important in Croatia and neighbouring wine regions, Graševina can range from fresh, crisp everyday whites through to serious single-vineyard and late-harvest wines.
We've written a complete guide explaining the variety, where it grows and why Australian wine drinkers should know it.
Read: What is Graševina? The Balkan White Wine Australians Are Starting to Discover
What About Macedonia?
Macedonia remains another essential part of the Balkan wine story.
The country's warm climate and historic wine culture have made it particularly well suited to powerful red varieties, including Vranec and Kratošija, alongside international grapes.
Vranec is particularly important.
Deeply coloured, rich and structured, it can be a fascinating alternative for Australian drinkers who normally reach for Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec.
Podrum stocks Macedonian producers including Bovin and Tikveš, making these varieties increasingly accessible to Australian wine drinkers.
Read: Bovin Wines and Bovin Winery — Crafting Exceptional Wines from the Heart of Macedonia
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Native Grapes Are the Balkans' Greatest Strength
Perhaps the most important lesson from Decanter 2026 is that Balkan wine doesn't need to become the next Bordeaux, Burgundy or Tuscany.
It already has something different.
Plavac Mali. Prokupac. Refošk. Žilavka. Graševina. Pošip. Vranec. Kratošija. Malvazija. Rebula.
These varieties give the Balkans something increasingly valuable in the modern wine world: identity.
A Cabernet Sauvignon can come from Australia, France, Chile, California or dozens of other wine regions.
Plavac Mali immediately takes you towards the Croatian Adriatic.
Prokupac tells a Serbian story.
Žilavka leads you towards Herzegovina.
Vranec takes you through Macedonia and the central Balkans.
And that is precisely why these wines are worth exploring.
Balkan Wine in Australia
For Australian wine drinkers, access to these wines has traditionally been limited.
That's changing.
At Podrum, we're building one of Australia's dedicated selections of Balkan wine, bringing together producers and grape varieties from Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Hungary and the wider region.
Our goal isn't simply to import familiar European wine styles.
It's to showcase the wines that make this part of Europe different.
That means Croatian Plavac Mali and Pošip, Serbian reds, Macedonian Vranec, Slovenian Rebula and Malvasia, Hungarian Furmint and Juhfark, Graševina and other regional varieties.
And if you want to venture slightly further north, Hungary's indigenous and regional varieties provide another fascinating step into the wines of Central and Eastern Europe.
