Remembering Alen Bibich

A Winemaker, A Visionary, A Friend

Last month, the wine world lost one of its greatest legends. I lost a mentor and a friend who shaped my palate and deepened my understanding of Croatian wine crafted with soul, stubbornness, and a profound love for the land.

For over two decades, Alen Bibich was part of my professional life and my personal story, a mentor whose wines and spirit I deeply admired.

I first discovered Alen’s wines in the early 2000s, when I was running a restaurant in New York City and overseeing wine buying, unaware of Croatia’s rich heritage on the Dalmatian coast.

But the moment I tasted Bibich wines, the texture, the salinity, the quiet confidence, I knew it belonged on the menu. It had that rare quality that stops you mid‑sip and makes you rethink what you thought you knew about a region.

I didn’t know it then, but that decision would become the beginning of a two‑decade professional relationship with a winemaker who never once compromised on authenticity.

Alen had a way of making wines that felt both timeless and innovative. He honored the land while also daring to push boundaries. He respected tradition but didn’t let it control him. His wines reflect the essence of Plastovo, showcasing the limestone-rich soils, distinctive microclimate, and vibrant biodiversity, while also embodying his personality: thoughtful, precise, and quietly rebellious.

He never chased trends or scores. He chased truth. And that’s why people loved him.

Over the years, I have visited the Bibich winery many times. Each visit felt like stepping into a warm, welcoming world where hospitality fostered a sense of belonging and appreciation.

There was always a table. There was always food. A bottle was always served with that familiar mix of pride and humility. Alen would pour, watch your reaction, and then, only then, begin to talk, not about himself, but about the land, the vintage, the struggle, and the joy.

Those visits were never just tastings. They were lessons in patience, resilience, and the art of staying rooted.

As the years passed, I got to know his family who stood beside him, supported him, and shaped the environment that allowed him to create. Their warmth mirrored his. Their pride in his work was quiet but unmistakable.

To know Alen was to know that his wines were never a solo act. They were and will remain a family story, a generational story, a regional story.

And being welcomed into that circle was one of the greatest privileges of my career.

Alen’s passing is a profound loss, not just for Croatia and the wine world, but for anyone who values genuine craftsmanship and integrity. His wines spoke for themselves, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire respect and admiration.

When I think of Alen now, I think of the first time I tasted his wine in New York, not knowing how much it would shape the next twenty years. I think of the vineyard landscape in Plastovo. I think of the long conversations and the laughter. Most of all, I think of his integrity, the kind that leaves a mark long after the bottle is empty.

So, here’s to Alen, not just the winemaker, but the man who could turn a simple lunch into a four‑hour feast, who poured wine the way some people give hugs, and who made everyone at the table feel like they belonged there.

Here’s to the stories he told, the ones he refused to tell, the mischievous grin he’d flash right before opening “just one more bottle.” Here’s to the hospitality that never felt rehearsed, the generosity that never felt performative, the joy that radiated from him even when he was exhausted.

Here’s to the man who taught me that wine is not about perfection, it’s about connection, about people, about place, and most importantly, about showing up.

To Alen: for the laughter, the lessons, the long afternoon tastings, and the light he brought into every moment. May we carry his spirit forward in every glass we raise.

Živjeli.

(If you ever find yourself in Croatia, or if you’ve been meaning to go, I hope you’ll make the journey to Plastovo and experience BIBICh Winery. Your visit keeps his story alive, and when you raise a glass in that beautiful place, you become part of the legacy he built).