The Wine Bank near Čitluk: Where the Finest Bottles Stay Under Lock and Key

Inspired by the idea of rewarding loyal collaborators originally, the owners designed personalized wine vaults filled with carefully selected premium wines from the winery. Each recipient receives a specially crafted storage box and the key to both the Wine Bank and their private locker, which they can access whenever they wish.

Editor's note: This article is part of the HEDONIST Archive and was originally published in the fifth print edition of HEDONIST Magazine in 2021.

Speaking to HEDONIST Magazine, Andrija Ćorić, a former Croatian youth national basketball player and member of the winery family, explained that every new box is initially stocked as a gift. From that moment on, its owner becomes part of an exclusive circle enjoying numerous privileges.

"Our cellar and winery are always open to our friends who own a wine box. Imagine someone having dinner with friends or celebrating a special occasion and deciding to surprise everyone by taking them to a unique place for a wine tasting. They can come to the Andrija cellar at any time, unlock their personal box, choose a bottle, and enjoy it in the stone tasting room beside the Wine Bank - or even on the massive 16-ton foundation stone at the heart of our cellar," says Ćorić.

Asked how the idea of creating a Wine Bank came about, he credits one of the winery's owners, Miro Ćorić. After visiting renowned wineries around the world, Miro wanted to create something that would strengthen business relationships through genuine friendship and thoughtful hospitality.

"This is a story about friendship, not just business. We want to stay connected with people we proudly call our friends and ambassadors of Andrija wines. There are certain principles when deciding who receives a wine box. We consider how much our wines have been sold, promoted, and spoken about, but above all, we want each recipient to become part of our family's long tradition."

Each wine box is carefully personalized. Some contain bottles from the legendary 1995 vintage, while others include wines linked to important milestones in the owner's life or in the history of the winery - such as the birth of a child, a wedding, or exceptional harvests like 2013.

Once the original bottles have been enjoyed, owners are free to refill their lockers however they wish, not only with wine, but also with brandy or grape brandy, under special conditions reserved exclusively for Wine Bank members.

"All our friends receive special benefits, whether it concerns wine purchases, private events, accommodation, or restaurant services," Ćorić explains.

When asked whether anyone has ever appeared unexpectedly in the middle of the night to open their locker, he smiles.

"That has never happened. Our guests are considerate and usually let us know a day in advance. They come, spend time in the cellar, enjoy the wines from their personal boxes, and simply relax together. They are our friends, and our doors are always open to them."

The Ćorić family has been involved in winemaking for nearly two decades. As the winery expanded, its owners decided to build a new cellar that would offer visitors much more than exceptional wines.

"We wanted to create something people wouldn't see just anywhere. Seven years before construction even began, we reserved a unique block of stone from a quarry. It has no visible veins and weighs sixteen tons. It became the foundation stone around which the entire cellar was built. I'm certain you've never seen a larger foundation stone. Around it, our guests can enjoy wine, share stories, and read aphorisms that perfectly complement a glass of wine."

In addition to the Wine Bank, Andrija Winery also maintains a private Wine Archive, carefully built since 1995 and reserved exclusively for members of the Ćorić family.

After every harvest, a selection of bottles is placed into the archive. In years when a new family member is born, four times as many bottles are stored to commemorate the occasion. An entire wall of the cellar is lined with bottles from the celebrated 1995 Blatina vintage, where they will remain for generations to come.

"Every child born into our family receives a personal wine archive. It cannot be opened until they get married. Only then may they drink the wines, give them away, or keep them. Within the family, however, we have an unwritten agreement - to leave those bottles aging for as long as possible, allowing both their quality and their value to grow over time," Ćorić concludes.

1. Written by: Andrijana Pisarević / HEDONIST
2. Originally published in HEDONIST Magazine, Issue No. 5 (2021).