Location and landscape
Keltern is a municipality in the Enzkreis district of Baden-Württemberg and lies between Pforzheim and Karlsruhe at the transition from the northern Black Forest to the landscape of Pfinzgau and Kraichgau in the region Baden. The municipal area extends from about 176 to 353 metres above sea level and includes the valley floors of Pfinz, Arnbach and Federbach, as well as adjacent gentle slopes.
Climate and winegrowing
The climate in the Kraichgau and Pfinzgau region is described as warm and favourable, with moderate rainfall. For the Pfinzgau climatic area, an annual precipitation of about 750 to 815 millimetres and a mean annual temperature of 8.6 °C are given for the reference period 1931 to 1960. Keltern has around 68 hectares of vineyard area, which is used by numerous winegrowers, cooperative winegrowers, three wineries that market their own produce, and many part-time winegrowers.
Soils and wine-growing sites
Keltern lies at the transition from the Buntsandstein of the Black Forest to the Muschelkalk hilly landscape of the Pfinzgau. Historically, viticulture has focused on the southern slopes of the Muschelkalk hills. The Keulebuckel and the Klepberg are single sites in the Kraichgau area and belong to the large site of Hohenberg. The Keulebuckel is registered for Dietlingen and Ellmendingen, while the Klepberg is for Dietlingen, Ersingen and Kämpfelbach.
Grape varieties and maturation
In Ellmendingen, Schwarzriesling and Blauer Spätburgunder are among the most important grape varieties, while Müller-Thurgau predominates in Dietlingen. The Keulebuckel is associated mainly with red wines, Weissherbst and rosé, while the Klepberg is predominantly associated with white wines. The wines are usually harvested by hand and matured by variety; the range extends from Qualitätswein b.A. to Spätlese, sometimes with ageing in barrique. The locally documented range also includes sparkling wines made from Schwarzriesling, Spätburgunder and Müller-Thurgau.
History and cultivation
The Ellmendingen Torkel, a wooden wine press, was built in the 16th century and used in Keltern until 1937. In 1939, a new installation took over this function. Three wineries in Keltern cultivate their vineyard areas according to the municipality’s information on an organic basis; a local organic winery documents cultivation without herbicides, synthetic plant protection products and chemically-synthetic nitrogen fertilisers.
