Stark-Condé Wines - Handcrafted, award-winning wines in spectacular scenery

Stark-Condé wines – Handcrafted Cabernet Sauvignon, from high altitude organic vineyards.

Spectacular scenery and wine make Stark-Condé a pleasure to visit. Several factors encourage the production of premium grapes here. These factors include decomposed granitic soils at altitudes between 150 and 600 meters, where good afternoon sun and prevailing cooling winds allow grapes to ripen slower than other Stellenbosch vineyards.

A little about Stark-Condé Wines

The family history behind this wine estate may be short, if compared to other Stellenbosch families, but certainly is one of the most complex, with South African, Japanese and Cuban-immigrant American origins. This family definitely has wider global origins than most in the region. The name itself is a combination of the farm’s South African born patriarch Hans-Peter Schröder’s mother, Franziska Stark and his son-in-law Jose Condé’s father.

No one can argue that few other vineyards in South Africa are as picturesque as the Oude Nektar farm or the vines planted for the Stark-Condé Wines label have the ideal terroir to produce exceptional grapes. And so, surrounded by towering scenic mountains, high in granitic content and constant cooling breezes, growing Cabernet Sauvignon in this valley is ideal, which has resulted in distinguished wine awards since their first Cabernet Sauvignon release.

The organic farming methods practised in the vineyards are complemented by the fact that the farm has a massive 80% left as natural Fynbos – the natural rugged plants that grow in this region. The farm lays at the entrance to a valley that leads to the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site to protect its unique fynbos biome.

The family origins of the estate mirrored in the area around the restaurant and tasting room, as it is very family friendly. Children enjoy the setting of the tasting rooms as an island in a dam to run around, stocked with a large school of Koi and a host of resident waterfowl and an abundance of other aquatic organisms to keep them occupied. The nearby Postcard Café too has an idyllic view over the valley, mountains and dam, with a varied menu that serves café food in style, keeping the young and old, vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters happy!

Stark-Condé Wines at a glance

Wines of note

Oude Nektar Cape Bordeaux blend
Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon
Three Pines Syrah
Stark-Condé Stellenbosch Syrah
The Field Blend – White blend
Round Mountain Sauvignon Blanc
Petite Sirah (A unique varietal rarely planted in South Africa)
Stark-Condé Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker

Rüdger van Wyk since 2017

Cellarmaster

José Condé since 1998

Viticulturist

Andrew Klinck

Owner

Jonkershoek Cellars (Pty) Ltd

Reasons to visit

Wine tasting of worldwide award-winning wines
Elegant Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends
Consistent production of award winning wines
Child friendly large lawns
The Postcard Café serves exceptional and varied dishes for most dietary needs
Tasting room with a unique setting and scenic, breathtaking views

Best time to visit

This is an all-year destination that also boasts a delightful fireplace stoked during winter – see images above, although early morning and late afternoon, is the best for epic views, it is still enjoyable all-day

What to do at Stark-Condé Wines

Highlights on the estate

Unique wine tasting room
Wine tasting of world renowned wines
Accommodation in the Three Pines Cottage on the property – Ideal for hikers and cyclists on a working farm in a two-bedroom self-catering cottage

Things to do or see

Wine tasting
Panoramic views from the tasting rooms and Postcard Café

For children

The estate is ideal for families with children.

Outdoors

Several outdoor activities are available in the area, such as hiking and cycling, as well as walking through the historic university town of Stellenbosch.