Wine from Both Sides of the Border
Kristian Keber is a fiercely independent, strikingly original biodynamic winemaker who operates two wineries on either side of the Slovenian-Italian border: his own Kristian Keber estate in Medana, Goriška Brda, and the historic Edi Keber winery in Cormòns, Collio, Italy. [^289^] His take on winemaking is defined by stubbornness, creativity, and a deep respect for tradition — qualities he shares with the other legendary growers of this tiny, crescent-shaped corner of northeast Italy and Slovenia, names like Gravner, Radikon, Prinčič, and Podversič. [^289^] Kristian inherited 1.7 hectares in the Kozlink subzone of Medana from his maternal grandfather Roman, who planted the vineyard 60 years ago. [^281^] The predominant variety is Ribolla Gialla, which together with Tocai Friulano and Malvasia Istriana composes his wine BRDA — a single cuvée that is the sole expression of his Slovenian estate. [^281^]
A Grandfather's Legacy — Two Countries, One Vision
Kristian Keber's story is one of borders — not the political lines that divide, but the geological and cultural continuities that unite. He operates two wineries: his own estate in Medana, in the Goriška Brda region of Slovenia, and the historic Edi Keber winery in Cormòns, on the Zegla hill in Italy's Collio, just across the border. [^279^] [^281^] The Collio-Brda region was butchered by 20th-century politics into two countries and two regions, but the land itself pays no attention to maps. The ponca soils — marl and sandstone of Eocene origin — stretch seamlessly across the border, and the wines produced on either side share a common DNA that no political boundary can alter. [^281^]
Kristian inherited his Slovenian vineyard from his maternal grandfather Roman, who planted 1.7 hectares in the Kozlink subzone of Medana 60 years ago. [^281^] The vineyard sits on terraces of ponca soil, surrounded by woods that provide a cooler microclimate and shield it from the influence of nearby vineyards. [^281^] The age of the vines, the altitude, and the minimal tillage cultivation mean very few interventions are needed against downy mildew and powdery mildew — the vineyard is healthy by nature, not by chemistry. This is a cru with character, a place that has been making wine since long before the modern wine industry existed.
Kristian's first macerated wine was a blend of late San Martino grapes in 2003, when he was just 16 years old. [^281^] He macerated the whole grapes with the stalks, and the result was so exciting that it led him to use this technique today. "This is what I have always preferred to the classic maceration that brings breadth and viscosity," he explains. [^281^] That early experiment — "beginner's luck," as he calls it — set the course for everything that followed. Today, Kristian is recognised as one of the most original and independent winemakers in a region that is not short of single-minded growers. [^289^]
"There is no shortage of single-minded winemakers in the Collio. But even by those standards, Kristian Keber's take on winemaking is fiercely independent and striking in its originality."
— Simon J. Woolf, The Morning Claret
Biodynamic, Ponca Soils & Cattle in the Vineyard
Kristian Keber adheres to biodynamic farming principles, with a strong emphasis on biodiversity, soil health, and self-sustainability. [^273^] The soil in both his Slovenian and Italian vineyards is ponca — or opoka, as it is called in Slovenian — a sedimentary rock formed on the seabed during the Eocene, consisting of alternating layers of soft marl and hard sandstone. [^281^] This combination, along with the constant presence of clay, means the land never requires irrigation. The proximity between the Adriatic Sea and the Julian Alps, combined with the altitudes and exposure of each individual hill, generates good temperature ranges ideal for white grapes. [^281^]
During the winter, cattle and sheep graze between the rows in all the vineyards, avoiding aggressive mechanical mowing, distributing natural fertilisation, and lightly working the soil. [^281^] The animals stay outside the whole year, living in a mobile house on a wagon where the roof serves as a shelter and rainwater accumulator, while a mini-photovoltaic system provides electricity for the mobile fence. In spring, transhumance takes place in nearby pastures, and during warmer periods, in the forest. This rotation fosters harmony in the fields and ensures uncontaminated meat, contributing to Kristian's dream of self-sustainability. [^281^]
Between the rows in the vineyard, grass grows up to 1.7 metres tall. [^281^] The idea is to allow as many species as possible to flower and then go to seed, enabling the soil to decide which plant to grow with the aim of enriching the soil with missing nutrients. Many wild species are nitrogen fixers, while others provide natural sources of sulphur and other microelements. Tall and large grasses also mean strong roots, which work to aerate the soil without using plows or harrows. This is not manicured viticulture; it is viticulture that embraces chaos, that trusts the soil to heal itself, and that recognises that the best fertiliser is biodiversity itself.
Biodynamic farming with cattle and sheep grazing between rows. Mobile animal housing with rainwater collection and solar power. Transhumance to pastures and forest. Dream of self-sustainability. [^281^]
Eocene sedimentary rock — alternating marl and sandstone. Formed on ancient seabed. Never requires irrigation. The same soil that underlies the great wines of Collio and Brda. [^281^]
Grass up to 1.7m tall between rows. Allowing species to flower and seed. Nitrogen fixers, sulphur providers, soil aerators. No plows, no harrows — nature does the work. [^281^]
1.7ha vineyard planted 60 years ago by grandfather Roman. Surrounded by woods. Cooler microclimate. Minimal tillage. Very few interventions needed against disease. [^281^]
Whole-Bunch Maceration with Stalks & Rotating Barrels
Kristian Keber's winemaking is characterised by whole-bunch maceration with stalks — a technique he first experimented with at age 16 and has refined ever since. [^281^] The grapes are lowered entirely into traditional 7-hectolitre wooden barrels called "strettin," made from Slavonian oak, traditional chestnut, ash, and acacia. [^281^] Instead of the classic punch-down with a stick, the grapes and their stalks are turned on wheels and on themselves multiple times. This allows the oxygenation of the spontaneous yeasts, promoting good fermentation and ensuring an elegant extraction without splitting the grapes. [^281^] The stalks lengthen persistence on the palate, while the whole-bunch fermentation means each grape is a separate mini-tank, resulting in greater aroma and elegance. [^281^]
Kristian's philosophy on maceration was shaped by a trip to Imereti in Georgia, where he learned about the significance of maceration of white grapes. [^281^] In the past, maceration was a necessity — a preservative. Ready-to-drink wines were not macerated; those for drinking in spring had a light maceration; while wines with longer maceration were destined to be drunk later in the year. This is the same shelf-life logic used for cured meats and hams. The old farmers were able to get the best out of each variety, and Kristian believes that a wine based on Ribolla Gialla like BRDA must be macerated to truly express itself at its best — this variety has much more substance in the skin than in the pulp. [^281^]
The BRDA is Kristian's flagship wine from his Slovenian estate — a skin-contact orange wine made from Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano, and Malvasia Istriana. The grapes undergo five months of maceration and fermentation in concrete tanks, followed by two years of ageing in oak barrels. [^273^] [^285^] The wine is bottled without filtration, with natural sedimentation achieved during the long barrel ageing. It is unfiltered and contains minimal sulfur additions — typically between 2 to 4 mg free sulfur and up to 10 mg total sulfur. [^273^] The result is a wine of extraordinary complexity, minerality, and longevity — a wine that carries the essence of the Brda terroir in every sip.
At the Edi Keber winery in Cormòns, Italy, Kristian produces a single wine — a Collio Bianco made from native Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and Malvasia Istriana, fermented and aged in traditional concrete tanks. [^273^] [^279^] This wine represents the historic, conventional face of the estate — a wine that speaks of the Zegla hill and the Collio tradition, made with the same care and attention as the more experimental BRDA, but with a different expression of the same terroir. Together, the two wineries form a complete picture: one foot in tradition, one foot in innovation, both rooted in the same soil.
BRDA — "Five Months of Maceration, Two Years in Oak"
The BRDA is Kristian Keber's signature wine — a skin-contact orange wine from his Slovenian estate that has become a benchmark for the style in the Brda region. [^273^] [^285^]
Made from a blend of Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano, and Malvasia Istriana grown on the 60-year-old vines of the Kozlink cru in Medana, the grapes are hand-harvested and placed whole into traditional 7-hectolitre "strettin" barrels made from Slavonian oak, chestnut, ash, and acacia. [^281^] The whole bunches, including stalks, undergo five months of maceration and fermentation in concrete tanks, with the barrels rotated multiple times to oxygenate the spontaneous yeasts and ensure elegant extraction without splitting the grapes. [^281^] After pressing, the wine ages for two years in oak barrels, achieving natural sedimentation without filtration. [^285^]
In the glass, it is amber and profound, with aromas of dried apricot, wild herbs, and a distinct mineral salinity from the ponca soils. The palate is structured and tannic from the extended maceration and stalk contact, yet elegant and persistent — the whole-bunch fermentation giving a complexity that classic maceration cannot achieve. It is bottled unfiltered, with minimal sulfur (2-4 mg free, up to 10 mg total), and is a wine that improves with age in a way that defies conventional wisdom. A wine of courage, originality, and profound connection to a place that has been making wine since the Eocene sea retreated. ~€35–€45 / ~$38–$50.
The Kristian Keber Range
Kristian Keber produces wines from two estates on either side of the Slovenian-Italian border. All wines are spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, made with minimal sulfur, and reflect the unique ponca terroir of the Brda-Collio region. The portfolio is intentionally focused — a single wine from each estate, each expressing a different facet of the same geological and cultural landscape. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.