Sibernet – Amazing Mladen Siber’s space for sweet hedonism
He really is something else, this Mladen Siber. Instead of enjoying his well-deserved retirement, the man is a veritable flurry of activity that even someone half his age would have trouble keeping up with. I suppose that’s what happens when you discover wine late in life. This tribute to Mladen Siber was penned by his neighbour, Željko Gormaz.
Mladen Siber has spoiled us with his fine red wines, starting with Cabernet Sauvignon, and with his fragrant Yellow Muscat and delicious Sauvignon Blanc. He has boyishly always boasted to me how his vineyards supplied the grapes for some of the legendary Croatian wines, proudly underlining that he is the only Croatian producer of sparkling Sauvignon Blanc. And a wonderful one at that! The other day, he stopped me as I was passing by his gate, ran to his car, and brought me a bottle of something called Sibernet from his trunk. An aromatized wine!
Maja Celing Cerić
Mladen Süber – dentist, winemaker, and pigeon and silkworm breeder
“It’s a 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in barrique barrels for a year and a half. Its other ingredients include classic homemade “višnjevača” cherry liqueur and single cherry “rakija” (brandy), along with aniseed and blueberries, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and peppercorns. It’s made by boiling Cabernet Sauvignon with the spices, liqueur and brandy, and then pouring the mixture into to a wooden barrel containing Cabernet Sauvignon, and letting it age for three to four months. My idea was to fool around a little bit, and the label makes it clear that’s all a game!”, Mladen Siber tells me.
Maja Celing Cerić
Aromatized sweet wine for meditations all year long
The Sibernet’s label is another testament to Mladen’s youthful character. And there’s more: all wines from Mladen’s winery come in a new package that pays playful homage to the various inhabitants of the animal kingdom that regularly pay visits to his vineyards in Erdut. The labels make no distinction between animals and people.
Maja Celing Cerić
“Illustrations capturing anthropomorphic animals in movement have been designed to put an extra emphasis on the gustatory experience of the wine. The mighty deer represents the dry taste of Cabernet Sauvignon, while the cunning fox embodies the citrus in Sauvignon Blanc. The figures were chosen for their distinct character and their habitat, forming a direct association with the Siber Winery’s tastes and place of origin in the broader perspective.
“I wouldn’t want the people to think of Sibernet as a Christmas wine. It’s an aromatized sweet wine for meditations all year long. You know, when you pour yourself a finger of wine, sit back in your favourite armchair, light a cigar, and enjoy yourself”, Mladen Siber concludes.
Maja Celing Cerić
Maja Celing Cerić
