Kristijan Harjač He is one of the most prominent sommeliers in Croatia and a double winner of the title the best sommelier in Croatia. Although he is only twenty years old (born in 1997/98), he has already built an impressive career in top restaurants and won a series of sommelier competitions. As the main sommelier In some of the best domestic restaurants, Harjač has become a recognizable face of the Croatian wine scene. Below we present his biography – from the early beginnings and education, through his career in Michelin restaurants, to winning titles and plans for the future – to find out how Kristijan Harjač became the best sommelier in Croatia.
Early life and path to sommelierism
Kristijan Harjač was born in 1997 or 1998, and grew up with the typical experiences of the young generation when it comes to wine. Harjač openly admits that as a teenager he went through and ‘Fisherman school’ on a bench in the park’ – alluding to drinking cheap wine with company – and that there is nothing against classical Croatian gemishta (wine mixed with mineral water). However, he soon discovered a deeper passion for wine and a more serious approach to enology.
The milestone occurred during high school education in catering school. One professor recognized his interest and took him to the national sommelier competition. Young Kristijan was impressed by the elegance, knowledge and skills demonstrated by top sommeliers. ‘That’s when I saw for the first time that someone could recognize through a sip of wine which wine it was and thought: ‘Oh, this is impossible!”, recalls Harjač, for whom it was this event that awakened the desire to take that path himself. He soon enrolled The first course of the Croatian Sommelier Club, who gave him basic knowledge about wines, flavors and pairing wines with food. After that introduction, everything ‘sorted out’ – Harjač fell in love with the world of wine and continued independently read, explore and practice tasting. This is where his continuous improvement begins, which continues today, since sommelierism understands as lifelong learning.
Career in top restaurants
Kristijan Harjač’s professional journey began Modest, but significant. Immediately after school, he did his internship and got his first chance in a family restaurant Dark lantern at Dolac in Zagreb. In that traditional restaurant, he found out how important the warmth of guests access and the basics of wine service is. Lanterna had a nice wine list with an emphasis on Croatian wines, which served as a good basis for further growth for the young sommelier. However, after completing the basic sommelier course, Harjač felt the need for new challenges and deeper knowledge. He leaves the comfort of his first workplace and moves to a Zagreb restaurant Agave. There at that time the owner was one of the best sommeliers in Croatia, which gave Harjač valuable mentoring and a focus towards top-quality eno-gastronomy.
Kristijan Harjač In front of the restaurant’s wine display agli amici in Rovinj, where he worked as the main sommelier. This luxury restaurant stood out as the only Croatian restaurant with Two Michelin stars, which testifies to the superior level of gastronomic offer and the excellence of the environment in which Harjač honed his skills. Working in such a restaurant meant running an extremely rich wine list and providing services at the highest level – an experience that was priceless for the young sommelier.
follows meteoric ascent through the best restaurants in the country. After Agave, Harjač got the opportunity to work in the famous Zagreb hotel Esplanade, in his fine-dining restaurant Zinfandel’s. There he was greeted by a wine list with over 300 different wine labels, which at first seemed scary, but encouraged him to learn intensively and master the top restaurant service. New offers and challenges followed: Harjač continues his career in prestigious restaurants Dubravka road and Izakaya in Zagreb and goes to Dubrovnik, where he works in restaurant 360, holder of a Michelin star. Working in these top gastronomic destinations, he encountered wine lists of 400, 500 and more labels, which enabled him to understand the wine more and more deeply and develop a refined palate.
In 2023, Harjač moved to Istria to take office chief sommelier and manager of Agli Amici restaurant in Rovinj – the first and then only Croatian restaurant crowned with two Michelin stars. Working in such an internationally recognized restaurant further strengthened its status in the world of sommelierism. However, after some time he decided to return to Zagreb and at the beginning of 2025 he moved to a renowned fine-dining restaurant Noel (Michelin’s star) as head sommelier and restaurant service manager. This return to the capital marked the continuation of his career at a top level, now also in the role of restaurant manager.
Key Stations in Kristijan Harjač’s career:
- Restaurant Lanterna (Zagreb) – first employment, acquisition of basic skills in serving wine and hospitality.
- Restaurant Agava (Zagreb) – training under the mentorship of an experienced sommelier; deepening knowledge about wines and pairings with food.
- Hotel Esplanade – Restaurant Zinfandel’s (Zagreb) – facing a wine list of over 300 labels; Accelerated learning and working in a high-professional fine-dining environment.
- Restaurant 360 (Dubrovnik) – work in a Michelin restaurant with a rich wine list; Spreading experience to international audiences.
- Restaurant Dubravkin Put and Izakaya (Zagreb) – continuation of his career in top Zagreb restaurants; Further improvement of sommelier skills.
- Restaurant Agli Amici (Rovinj) – chief sommelier and host in the only Croatian restaurant with two Michelin stars; work at the highest level of eno-gastronomy.
- Restaurant Noel (Zagreb) – Current position (from 2025): Head Sommelier and head of service in a restaurant with a Michelin star; Combining sommelier expertise and restaurant management.
These engagements in prestigious restaurants enabled Kristijan Harjač to develop a broad knowledge of world wines, a refined sense of taste and skills necessary for top-notch service. The experience he has served as an excellent preparation for competitive successes which followed.
The best sommelier of Croatia – competitions and awards
Despite his relatively young age, Kristijan Harjač achieved outstanding results at sommelier competitions in Croatia and beyond. Already 2022 He recorded great success by winning 2nd place at the Croatian Sommelier Championship. This was a hint of what was to come – on the next, 26th Croatian Sommelier Championship in 2023 Harjač conquers 1st place And he is proud of the title of the best sommelier in Croatia. As a 26-year-old sommelier, in the final of that competition he surpassed multiple champion Ivan Jug (sommelier of the Zagreb restaurant Noel) and deservedly won.
The following year, success repeated: Harjač defended the title And at the 27th Croatian Sommelier Championship in 2024, he was once again declared the national champion, thus achieving two consecutive victories at the largest sommelier competition in the country (in 2023 and 2024). With this, he ranks among the rare sommeliers who managed to win the title twice in a row ‘The best sommelier in Croatia’.
In addition to domestic competitions, Kristijan Harjač has also proven himself on the international stage. In October 2025, he won the title “Best Young Sommelier 2025” (best young sommelier) at the International Sommelier Championship in Budapest. This open competition brought together the best young sommeliers from Europe and the world, and Harjač excelled in the category of young competitors, which brought him additional recognition in foreign circles. In the same year, he assumed the role of Ambassador Sparkling Wine Festa Croatia 2024, an exclusive festival of sparkling wines, where he shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for sparkling wine through educational workshops and panel discussions. Such engagements confirm that Harjač is not only a competitor, but also Promoter of wine culture at the national and international level.
Summary of the most important achievements of Kristijan Harjač:
- The best Croatian sommelier in 2023. – 1st place at the 26th Croatian Sommelier Championship (Zagreb)
- The best Croatian sommelier in 2024. – 1st place at the 27th Croatian Sommelier Championship (double consecutive champion)
- Best Young Sommelier 2025 – Title of the best young sommelier at the International Championship in Budapest
- Ambassador Sparkling Wine Fest 2024 – official promoter and face of the Croatian sparkling wine festival
Master Sommelier’s expertise, training and goal
Kristijan Harjač is known for his dedication to continuous learning and improvement. It has already been mentioned that as a teenager he started basic courses and continued to work on himself. What sets him apart is exceptional discipline: the last five years Every day, devote at least an hour and a half to intensive learning about wines and practicing sommelier skills. Such a regime – which includes frequent wine tastings, studying wine regions, varieties and trends – enabled him to acquire the level of knowledge that many have acquired for decades in a short time.
After two consecutive titles of sommelier champion, Harjač directed his ambitions towards the highest possible qualification in the profession – a prestigious title – a prestigious title Master sommelier. The Master Sommelier Diploma is a globally recognized top of sommelier education, and its holders belong to the narrowest circle of wine experts. How difficult it is to reach that level is also shown by the fact that from 1969 until today, he obtained that diploma Only 247 people in the world, which is less than the number of astronauts who traveled into space, and No Croat He has not yet found himself among them. “My entire work and learning are actually directed towards one goal: obtaining a Master Sommelier degree”, pointed out Harjač in an interview. He plans to take the last stage of the exam at the end of 2025, after which, in case of success, he would become the first sommelier from Croatia with that elite title.
The philosophy of sommelierism and influence on the wine scene
In addition to impressive titles and certificates, Kristijan Harjač also stands out with his approach to sommelierism. He believes that the key task of a sommelier bring wine to guests in an understandable and friendly manner. ‘I have always advocated the position that we as sommeliers should be as accessible as possible to our guests. If we present wine as pretentious, demanding and complex, we actually do it for ourselves, not for them’, explains Harjač. In practice, this means that it tries to avoid excessive complication and professional jargon – instead, it presents wine through interesting stories and in simple language, adapted to every guest. Thus, even complete lay people can enjoy a glass of wine and learn something, instead of feeling intimidated or excluded.
Harjač is also A great supporter of Croatian autochthonous wine varieties. He often points out that Croatia has a wealth of unique wines that few other countries own. ‘Croatia has one huge advantage over most of the world because we have a lot of our autochthonous varieties and that should be our character. Chardonnay can be planted, but plant the whole world… We will only make the Greek. And we will only make a splash. And a plavac… and Teran, and Istrian Malvasia, and Zlahtina… These are varieties that are not found in France, Spain, Italy’ – points out Harjač, inviting local winemakers to build the recognition of Croatian winemaking through these varieties. believes that they are Croatian wines Today, at a very high level of quality, which is confirmed by numerous awards at international evaluations, but that we should continue to nurture what makes us special on the wine list of the world.
Conclusion: Inspiration for a new generation of sommeliers
At only 27-28 years old, Kristijan Harjač has already left a deep mark in the Croatian wine industry – as a two-time sommelier state champion, respected wine advisor in Michelin restaurants, educator and passionate promoter of wine culture. His journey from youthful wine drinking on a bench to the climax of domestic sommelierism is truly inspiring. It shows that with dedicated work, constant learning and clear vision, world successes can be achieved even in a small wine country like Croatia.
Christian Harjač today serves as a model for the new generation young sommeliers, waiters and catering workers. Demonstrates how a date passions and disciplines leads to top achievements. His story motivates others to develop their knowledge of wine, nurture indigenous traditions and strive for excellence in what they do. As someone who has achieved so much in such a short period of time, Harjač emphasizes that talent is only a small part – behind everything they are behind “Lots of training and countless wines tasted”.
In the years to come, we can expect from Kristijan Harjač even greater contributions to the wine scene: perhaps winning international competitions, gaining a prestigious master sommelier title, or continuing a successful career through leading top restaurants and educating the audience. For all wine lovers and gastronomy, it is an inspiration and a testament that world success can be achieved and “at home”. Therefore, the next time you open a wine list in a restaurant, remember this story – and indulge in the recommendation of the sommelier, perhaps following the philosophy advocated by Kristijan Harjač. Cheers!
