Wine from 240 Years of Patience
Keltis is the agricultural project of the Kelhar family, which has been working the lands of Bizeljsko for more than two centuries — over 240 years of continuous family presence on the same soil. [^47^] Located in the small village of Bizeljsko in Lower Styria, in the southeastern part of Slovenia near the border with Croatia, the estate has evolved from a traditional polycultural farm into one of the country's most respected natural wine producers. [^43^] Today, Marijan and Ana Kelhar manage 22 hectares of estate, with 5 hectares of vines and 12 hectares of forest that provide the wood for their cellar barrels. [^43^] Their son Miha has taken the lead role in the cellar, and his first original wine was Cuvée Extrême 2009. [^48^]
A Polycultural Farm — Cows, Forest, Fruit & Wine
The Kelhar farm has always had a polycultural vocation — raising cows, tending fruit trees, maintaining a vegetable garden, and since the late 1980s, with a renewed push into viticulture. [^43^] Towards the end of the 1980s, Ivan and Elizabeta Kelhar left the care of the farm and vineyards to their son Marijan and his wife Ana. Marijan decided to dedicate himself more to winemaking and created the Keltis brand, bottling the first bottles of wine in 1989 and appearing on the market as a boutique winemaker. [^48^] In the 1990s, their sons Luka and Miha were born, and the latter eventually took on the lead role in the cellar. His first original wine was Cuvée Extrême 2009 — a wine that announced a new generation's vision. [^48^]
The estate is not a monoculture vineyard operation but a living farm. Of the 22 hectares, 5 are under vine, 12 are forest, and the remainder supports the family's broader agricultural life. [^43^] The forest is not merely scenic; it is functional — providing the oak and other wood used for the barrels in which Keltis ages its wines. This is a closed system, or as close to one as modern agriculture allows: the land feeds the vines, the forest feeds the barrels, and the farm feeds the family. The Kelhars are described by their US importer as "perhaps the region's greatest innovators," working hand in hand with central European wine guru Kreso Petrekovic to translate their special terroir into bottle. [^58^]
The farm has been certified organic since 2009 and has been conducting vineyards with biodynamic practices since 2019, achieving Demeter certification in 2022. [^43^] This is not a recent conversion for marketing purposes; it is the culmination of decades of farming that was already low-intervention, now formalised and deepened through biodynamic principles. The production of natural wines, as Miha Kelhar notes, "requires passion, understanding, patience, knowledge and work. I myself experienced this as a child and I was present at everything, from the vineyard to the bottle." [^48^]
"The production of natural wines requires passion, understanding, patience, knowledge and work. I myself experienced this as a child and I was present at everything, from the vineyard to the bottle."
— Miha Kelhar, Keltis
Biodynamic, Marl Soils & Full Moon Bottling
The Keltis vineyards encompass 5 hectares of land stretching over south and south-western positions as well as northern slopes of the Bizeljsko area. [^49^] The soils are complex and layered: marl, sandstone with quartz binder, clay, Lithuanian limestone, and limestone with the application of chert. [^49^] This is not the terra rossa of the Karst or the ponca of Brda; it is a distinct geological signature of southeastern Slovenia, one that provides minerality especially felt in the macerated wines. Western winds blowing from neighbouring Orlica take care of ventilation and are a natural ally in the fight against diseases. [^49^]
The farm has been certified organic since 2009, with biodynamic practices introduced in 2019 and Demeter certification achieved in 2022. [^43^] Ten different varieties are grown for the production of mostly white and sparkling wines: Muscat, Chardonnay, Rumeni Plavec (Romanian Plavec), and Pinot Noir; and 15% red wines from predominantly Merlot and Cabernet, although the Žan Red cuvée is made solely from local varieties with the beautiful names of Žametovka, Kraljevina, Blaufränkisch, and Welschriesling. [^43^] The vines range from 14 to 35 years old, with an average age that speaks to a vineyard in its productive prime. [^49^]
A distinctive practice at Keltis is the adherence to a biodynamic calendar for all cellar work. As dictated by their philosophy, work with wines is done at the time of the full moon, when the wine is believed to be at its peak and can fully express its potential. [^49^] Since they only follow its development and do not monitor it artificially, the wine arrives on the market when it is ready — and thus every vintage shows its character in its own moment. [^49^] This is not a rigid schedule but a responsive one: the wine tells the winemaker when it is ready, not the other way around. The result is that some vintages may be released later than others, but all are released at their optimal expression.
Certified organic since 2009. Biodynamic practices since 2019. Demeter certified since 2022. A formalisation of decades of low-intervention farming. [^43^] [^46^]
Marl, sandstone with quartz binder, clay, Lithuanian limestone, and limestone with chert. Distinctive minerality, especially in macerated wines. Western winds from Orlica provide natural ventilation. [^49^]
All work with wines done at the time of the full moon, when the wine is at its peak. Bottling, racking, and other interventions timed to biodynamic cycles. [^49^]
12 hectares of forest provide wood for cellar barrels. A closed agricultural system where the land feeds the vines, the forest feeds the barrels, and the farm feeds the family. [^43^]
Spontaneous Fermentation, Skin Contact & Zero or Minimal Sulfur
Keltis wines are produced with an artisan's approach in both vineyard and cellar, expressing their terroir with minimum quantities of sulfites. [^49^] All wines are hand-harvested from organically and biodynamically farmed vines. Fermentation is spontaneous with ambient yeasts — no commercial yeasts are added. [^49^] The wines are neither fined nor filtered, preserving their natural texture and living complexity. Many cuvées receive no added sulfur dioxide at all; those that do receive minimal amounts, typically around 5 mg/L. [^49^]
The portfolio is diverse and playful. The Žan White is a natural orange wine made from a blend of Rumeni Plavec, Muscat, Traminec, Žametna Črnina, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Kraljevina — seven varieties co-fermented after 3 days of separate maceration. [^49^] It is described as "a fruit bomb that is extremely easy drinking" — aromatic, tropical, and joyful. The Žan Red is made from Žametovka, Kraljevina, Blaufränkisch, and 20% local white grapes — an extremely juicy, easy-drinking red with beautiful acidity, best enjoyed chilled at only 10.5% alcohol. [^49^]
The Cuvée Extrême is Keltis's flagship orange wine and Miha Kelhar's first original creation. Made from Riesling, Traminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Muscat Ottonel, the grapes are hand-picked in early October with 30% botrytis, then given 5 months of maceration with spontaneous fermentation. [^49^] The wine ages for 24 months in used 500-litre barrels with no added yeast, no filtration, and no added SO2. It is described as "a stunning orange wine that evolves beautifully in the glass" — a wine of profound complexity and patience, reflecting both the botrytis character and the long maceration. [^49^]
Keltis also produces a range of pet-nats: Mario Rozé (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Mufi (Muscat and Plavac Mali), and Mario Natur (Chardonnay and Rumeni Plavec) — all made by the ancestral method, with spontaneous fermentation, no fining, no filtration, and no added SO2. [^49^] The Rumeni Muškat receives 10 days of maceration and 24 months in large oak barrels, resulting in a refreshing, light wine with notes of honey, pear, and melon. [^49^] Even a Tuchek Apple Cider is produced from Slovenian apple varietals by the ancestral method — a testament to the farm's polycultural roots. [^49^]
Cuvée Extrême — "5 Months of Maceration, 24 Months in Barrel"
The Cuvée Extrême is Miha Kelhar's first original wine and Keltis's flagship orange wine — a profound, evolving cuvée that demonstrates what patience and botrytis can achieve in the hands of a biodynamic winemaker. [^48^] [^49^]
Made from Riesling, Traminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Muscat Ottonel, the grapes are hand-picked in early October with 30% botrytis infection — noble rot that concentrates sugars and adds complexity. [^49^] The grapes undergo 5 months of maceration with spontaneous fermentation, with no added yeast and no temperature control. After pressing, the wine ages for 24 months in used 500-litre barrels, developing integration and depth without the masking effect of new oak. No fining, no filtration, no added sulfur dioxide. [^49^]
In the glass, it is a stunning orange wine that evolves with every minute of air contact. The botrytis contributes honeyed, dried-apricot notes, while the long maceration provides tannic structure and the five varieties create a layered, almost orchestral complexity. This is not an everyday wine; it is a wine for contemplation, for the slow unfolding of a vintage that was given all the time it needed. Released only when ready — which may be years after harvest — it embodies the Keltis philosophy of patience, biodynamic timing, and terroir expression. A wine that rewards the wait. ~€35–€50 / ~$38–$55.
The Keltis Range
Keltis produces a diverse portfolio of natural wines from their 5-hectare estate in Bizeljsko. All wines are organically and biodynamically farmed, hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, unfined, and unfiltered. Sulfur is either zero or minimal (typically 0–5 mg/L). The range includes orange wines, pet-nats, a light red, and even apple cider — reflecting the farm's polycultural heritage. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.
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Mysa Natural Wine: https://mysa.wine/collections/keltis
Amber Wines: https://amberwines.ch/blogs/news/keltis-wines
Grape Times: https://www.grape-times.com/en/keltis/