Director of wine program
"Wine is introduction into good company."
Growing in the family with their own wine-cellar, situated at the slopes of Moslavina vineyards, Lovro developed curiosity towards wine as a little boy. Following his father Marko Miklaužić and helping in all procedures of vine cultivation and wine production, he learned to recognize and appreciate good quality wine. As wine has an inseparable bond with all members of the family Miklaužić, Lovro did not wonder much in which way he would continue his education.
At University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, he graduated in viticulture and enology. Within his studies, he had opportunities to see wine-tasting places of Faculty of Agriculture, which are situated all over Croatia and take part in clone selections of various autochthonous Croatian sorts. At faculty his mentors were professors Edo Maletić, Ivan Pejić, Jasminka Karoglan Kontić, docents and assistant professors Silvio Šimon, Darko Preiner and Zvjezdana Marković.
Upon completion of his master′s degree, in 2010 Lovro went to the United States of America for specialization in Opolo Wine-cellar, situated in the region of Paso Robles in fertile Californian Napa Valley. The owners of the wine-cellar Rick Quinn and Dave Nicholas had together opened the family wine-cellar, in which they produce one of the most well-known sorts of North America, Zinfandel. Zinfandel originated from the autochthonous Croatian sort Crljenak Kaštelanski.
In Opolo Wine-cellar, Lovro had an opportunity to learn the most from the co-owner Rick Quinn and a cellar-owner James Schreiner. A working day in a vineyard starts very early. Lovro and his work team first gathered samples of grapes, which would be later analyzed in the laboratory in order to determine the optimum moment for harvesting, after which all other preparatory activities start, from works in the vineyard to the cellar.
After returning to Croatia, Lovro went back to his Moslavina hills with a wish to devote himself to the family wine-cellar. Today, the Miklaužić family on 40 hectares of vineyard produce autochthonous sorts of Škrlet, Frankovka, sparkling wines, rose, etc. Together with his father Marko, Lovro was engaged in clone selections of autochthonous Moslavina wine sort of Škrlet, which in the last several years has become more and more recognizable and appreciated in the market. For their wines they also got prestigious awards: the second place for sort of Škrlet at International Wine Challenge in London and the second place for sparkling wine at Drinks Industry / Russian Wine Fair in Moscow.
As a young promising enology expert and wine-grower, sommelier and lecturer at Culinary Institute Kul IN, Lovro hopes he will help young generations of chefs and confectioners to get basic knowledge on wine culture and tradition, encouraging them, as future gastronomy lovers, to investigate permanently and to enjoy beauties of new and old wine.
