Due to long term acquaintance and socializing based on friendship in 2006 a group of 9 enthusiasts (none of which is related to the production of grapes or wine) has established a non-profit Association Plavac mali Zagreb with a sole purpose: to promote a Croatian sort of wine from the autochthonic grape “plavac mali” which has long been a provider to the historically battered Dalmatia.
South-west slopes of Pelješac peninsula and the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula and Vis have a unique location that enables the breeding of the sort Plavac mali the best. Exposed directly to the sun and the sun rays that reflect off the sea and the rock with the beneficial air streaming, this vine gives the famous Croatian wine (Dingač, Postup, Ivan Dolac…). If there hadn’t been for the hard work of the eager wine-growers that sometimes, on steep slopes demands superhuman effort, the karst wouldn’t have been turned into vineyards. Due to experience and knowledge based on tradition, at the end of this centuries-old story, a new story is being born, decanted to top-quality wine from the sort PLAVAC MALI.

All that the members of the Association Plavac mali from Zagreb have been accomplishing, through various events, has always had a breath of professionalism and has never passed unnoticed: alongside with MAM-VIN’s magazine "The World in a glass" and Nautomania’s sailing cup “Through the paths of Plavac mali”, it was just a matter of time when the carefully devised program of the Association’s promotional activities would obtain a new quality. The idea has already sprung during the promotion of the honorary members in December 2006 and it was realized in March 2007.

On 22nd March 2007, at the Founding Assembly held in hotel Antunović in Zagreb, 16 entrepreneurs agreed to establish a  company - GROZD (CLUSTER) PLAVAC MALI d.o.o.  with its manager Velimir Bohač. In 2008 six new members joined the Cluster.
The members deal with similar, complementary activities and have decided to strengthen their market appearance by joining into a cluster.
The Cluster consists of: 12 wine-growers-producers of wine (4 from the island of Hvar, 5 from the Pelješac peninsula, 1 from: Omiš, Grude and Čilipi), 2 producers of barrels (inox/wood), 1 producer of: labels, decorative caps, vineyard posts and viticulture equipment, 1 publishing house in charge of wine promotion and sale, 2 marketing companies and the Association Plavac mali from Zagreb.
By forming a cluster in Zagreb, the members have gained a possibility to accomplish single and/or mutual projects, in the framework of the Cluster’s plans and programs, related to all aspects of viticulture, wine industry and other accompanying activities for which the cluster is registered.

The mutual and individual interest of all the members will be accomplished through the realization of the society‘s basic goals:

• to expand the territories on which Plavac mali, our indigenous Croatian sort of (wine) grape is planted,
• to concentrate on the promotion of Plavac mali through marketing activities
• to work on the professional refinement of production in order to increase the crops and placing of Plavac mali
• to improve the production and processing of grapes Plavac mali (while cooperating with the Faculty  of Agriculture and the Institute for viticulture and wine industry)
• to promote Plavac mali as a part of Croatian tradition and to strive to make it a recognizable and significant export product of "Croatian quality"
• to strengthen the bond with the economy, scientific institutions, departments of local government and administration, as well as with the proper ministries
• to make contacts and ensure resources from the pre-admission EU funds

Nevertheless, every-day practice, new professional data, as well as economical and field changes will cause some modifications to certain activities along the way.  

The role of the Cluster plavac mali ltd. derives from and will be manifested in the services which Grozd plavac mali provides to the cluster:

• mutual supplying (less entry-costs while purchasing bottles, corks, labels, barrels and other material)
• creating a new design for the Cluster
• establishing new marketing strategy for the Cluster (participation on fares and exhibitions, designing a web page, a brochure, a CD/DVD)
• market-research and encouraging export
• implementing the system of quality and environment-management, certification of product-compatibility according to the Croatian and European norms (ISO 9001: 2200/HACCP)
• initiating the procedure for acquiring and using the sign "Croatian quality", "Genuinely Croatian" in order to increase product - competitiveness on local and foreign markets
• strategic measures of lobbying and connecting with the economy, scientific nstitutions, departments of local government and administration, as well as with the proper ministries
• education and the professional refinement in accordance and relation with the Institute for viticulture and wine industry

On this charted course, we believe that we are stronger together, and one of the prerequisites of Cluster’s success is that the mutual interest has to be above the individual and to have and constantly maintain mutual trust!