1899-1920

It is the year 1899, the dawn of the 20th Century and across the world preparations are being made to welcome the new millennium and everywhere there is an air of anticipation. In the mountain village of Vrgorac Dalmatia the Jakicevich family too is waiting in anticipation, not for the new millennium but for an addition to the family. The new born, a son was named Josef. At the age of twenty Josef migrated to New Zealand. Here he founded Glengarry Wines and a New Zealand dynasty that is vigorously pursuing his dream.

To understand what led Josef to New Zealand requires an appreciation of the circumstances in his native Croatia. The countries of the Balkans Peninsula, strategically located in south-eastern Europe, have been quarreled, fought over, invaded and controlled many times over the centuries. In its troubled history, national boundaries and alliances, as recent history has so vividly illustrated, have changed frequently leaving a legacy of instability. In the late 19th century the region was a cauldron of unrest with the outbreak of regional wars for possession of territories that led eventually to the outbreak of World War I when the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. 

After the World War I the feuding in the Balkan States continued and for a young man growing up in such uncertain and hazardous times the future held little promise. Like many young men of his generation Josef decided to find a better life elsewhere.