Stark-Condé Wines
Stark-Condé Wines
4.5
About
This boutique winery is picturesquely nestled in the Jonkershoek Valley, just 3 kilometres outside town in Stellenbosch. The setting is simply overwhelmingly beautiful - hence, the name of the Postcard Cafe. What was intended to attract more feet to the tasting room; a little cafe linked to the winery, has now become the winery linked to the Cafe instead. The winery is intensively family-run; German father, Japanese-German daughter and Cuban-American husband co-own the winery with their two daughters working weekends to help in the fully booked cafe. Winemaker and co-owner, Jose Conde hand-crafted his first-ever Cabernet Sauvignon vintage in a store room of the winery at the time in 1998. The four barrels aged gracefully and received five stars by John Platter -evidently Jose had been destined to be a winemaker and not a graphic designer. Adding to the talent, the farm's higher elevations and finely textured soils (perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon), made it a painless career change. 2013 celebrated Jose's fifteenth vintage with Old Mutual (South Africa) and won Stark-Conde the acclaimed trophy for Most Successful Producer in South Africa, Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon and Trophy for Best Shiraz. Steep alterations in vineyard elevation make for a range of sites with distinct characteristics. Combined with the tremendous winter rainfall in Jonkershoek, (3 times more rain than Stellenbosch) these qualities ensure a more than suitable terrain for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Syrah and Pinotage. Jose firmly believes in traditional winemaking - hand-picking, careful hand selection of the grapes, manual punch-downs, open-tank fermentation, basket pressing, and patient maturation for 22 months in French oak barrels. With only 6000 cases produced annually, wines are not sold commercially and the proverbial 'word of mouth' is solely relied upon for advertising. Not that the scenery should not be enough of a reason to visit - a charming, small Balinese tasting room floats on its own little island in the middle of the dam surrounded by mountain peaks, vineyards and tranquil valley vegetation. Tastings are personal and intimate, with attention paid to the finer details of each wine. Stark-Conde has three different brands. The Three Pines range is a single-vineyard, flagship estate selection while the Stellenbosch wines are blends from different vineyard blocks on the estate. Stark-Conde Field Blend is the only estate white wine produced and is compiled from a single block of three different cultivars grown together namely Roussanne, Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Verdelho. This wine is elegantly balanced with richness and aromatics from the Roussanne and Viognier, combined with fruit and acidity from the Chenin Blanc and Verdelho components. Stark-Conde Postcard Series are from selected vineyards outside the farm.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
227 reviews
Excellent
163
Very good
48
Average
7
Poor
6
Terrible
3
Penny L
Rondebosch, South Africa68 contributions
Feb 2020
We wanted to enjoy a wine tasting at this renowned wine estate, but when we arrived there was only 1 table available and it was in the full midday sun. We asked if we could stand on the lawn in the shade and do the wine tasting, or move the table into the shade, but the staff members we approached weren't interested in assisting us. They said it couldn't be done and just walked away from us, not bothering to try and find a solution to keep the 5 of us there. The impression they gave was that they actually didn't want to accept another 5 guests when they were already busy. Such a pity and I will be voting with my feet and never go back there again. It is such a beautiful, serene place, but it won't see us again. We subsequently found a warm and inviting reception at Dornier, where we had a wonderful hour of wine tasting, and where we purchased 8 cases of wine! Pity Stark-Conde missed out, or perhaps they don't care? That is certainly the impression that was created. The customer is certainly not king there....
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nic D
2 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Dont bother the staff if you want to buy wine. We visited this estate on Saturday morning, they were busyish. There was one table open in the sun, which was too hot for us, we were happy to stand in the shade or sit on the grass and taste. The staff were not going to allow us that, either sit in the sun or go away, the only word the staff could say was NO. They made no attempt to even look at us when they spoke, I had to deal with 3 different staff members as on one occasion when enquiring about how long we might have to wait for a table to staff member simply said I dont know, looked away and and began a conversation with another member of staff, on the second attempt to enquire about moving a table out of the sun into the shade she said NO and simply walked away. It was clear they didnt wish to do anything except the bare minimum and certainly were not going to accommodate any more guests than they had to. We left and went onto Dornier opting to spend our money where it was wanted and appreciated. We had a wonderful tasting and bought 8 cases of wine. The owners of Starke Conde clearly dont need business and/or are oblivious to the manner in which their staff treat their potential customers. Either way they will never see us again, not any of our friends and we would reccomend staying away.
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rekewa
44 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Memorable setting but a fairly simple proposition - no frills . But the food we ordered was very good and very good service . The wine tasting was located in the “ lake” venue and there was no recommended food pairing at the restaurant.
Written July 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robyn16
13 contributions
Jan 2023 • Friends
I visited the beautiful Stark-Conde wine tasting room on my travels from China. Unfortunately, while enjoying my glass of Rosé, my bank card fell into the lake. The owner, Mr Hans, kindly and quite unbelievably fished it out for me a day later. I'm so glad he was able to retrieve my card allowing me to have another taste of the wines on offer. Thank you for going the extra mile and ensuring I wasn't left Yuan-less on my way back abroad!
Written January 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JohnTGN
Seminyak, Indonesia268 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
The fabulous wine region of Stellenbosch is home to some of South Africa’s best wines and spectacular scenery. We had arranged a wine tasting which was great fun and educational . Loved the wines, but the whole ambiance and setting is simply wonderful. Make a fun day out with friends and have lunch in the cafe after!
Written September 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DavidFD7586CR
Byron Bay, Australia537 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
We undertook a wine tasting today at Stark Conde wines.We selected a 4 wine flight covering wines grown at higher altitudes including the Three Pines Syrah and Cab Sav plus the Oude Nektar which is a Bordeaux red blend.All competent wines but the only stand out was the Oude Nektar which vineyard was replanted after a big fire in 2009.The tasting was held in a barrel room rather than outside on the terrace overlooking the lake and soaring mountain views.Cost was Rand 136 per person which was reasonable.
Written January 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HolidayMaus
8 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
Stark-Conde produces fabulous wines, for me the best Cabernet Sauvignons in Stellenbosch. We‘ve been there on every visit to Stellenbosch and their normal wine tasting area in the lake (currently not accessible due to renovations) is perhaps our favourite spot in the area.
This time we felt a bit let down though. We were excited to go despite knowing of the renovation work but didn’t want to miss out on the wines. Like many estates in the area you now have to select from a predefined tasting menu, we prefer it if you can just select 6 wines from the whole list. The prices for the tastings are expensive up to 130R for 3 wines but the tasting portions are generous, enough to share. So we decided for 2 different options.
I don’t mind paying for tastings as it reduces the pressure to buy, but most estates waive the fee when you do buy. Not here, we ended up paying 180R for the tasting despite buying 3 bottles! This was the only estate in S.A. where this happened and it leaves a bad taste for our next visit.
This time we felt a bit let down though. We were excited to go despite knowing of the renovation work but didn’t want to miss out on the wines. Like many estates in the area you now have to select from a predefined tasting menu, we prefer it if you can just select 6 wines from the whole list. The prices for the tastings are expensive up to 130R for 3 wines but the tasting portions are generous, enough to share. So we decided for 2 different options.
I don’t mind paying for tastings as it reduces the pressure to buy, but most estates waive the fee when you do buy. Not here, we ended up paying 180R for the tasting despite buying 3 bottles! This was the only estate in S.A. where this happened and it leaves a bad taste for our next visit.
Written January 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JaneHazelgrove
Winchester, UK29 contributions
Oct 2016 • Friends
We just had an amazing meal but the wine tasting after was so bad
The server was so disingenuous and disinterested
Really bad can't recommend it
The server was so disingenuous and disinterested
Really bad can't recommend it
Written October 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rachaeltina
Durbanville, South Africa50 contributions
Dec 2015
We arrived and after finally getting someone's attention (despite them trying their best to blank us?!) got a seat. Only after we were seated were we told there was one white wine available and it was a blend. So disappointing - the last thing we wanted to do on a hot day was drink glass after glass of red wine!
The service was very strange, slow and uninterested staff, with the stunning surroundings and prices I would expect them to put a bit more effort in.
The service was very strange, slow and uninterested staff, with the stunning surroundings and prices I would expect them to put a bit more effort in.
Written December 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
peter3267
Chicago, IL52 contributions
Nov 2015 • Couples
This wine estate is unique among those in the greater Stellenbosch region in that it's a bit off the beaten path (and thus isn't so busy / is generally quieter) and the tasting area is in a small wooden structure in the middle of a pond, with the mountains in the background. It's easily among the most picturesque places where we did wine tasting during our tour of the region, with an unmistakable Japanese influence in the architecture that is super cool too.
The wines we tasted were really great as well. The staff was just lovely and very helpful. Wonderful ambiance - can't wait to go back someday.
The wines we tasted were really great as well. The staff was just lovely and very helpful. Wonderful ambiance - can't wait to go back someday.
Written December 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
carolinedebois
Oostkamp, Belgium135 contributions
Goedendag,
Kan je me zeggen waar ik fietsen kan huren - zonder begeleidende route ?
Bedankt !
Tadeu Martins
Sao Paulo, SP756 contributions
Infelizmente não sei onde se alugam bicicletas, para chegar nas vinícolas o mais recomendado é ir de carro. Caso exista algum passei especifico de bicicleta desconheço.
Mandy M
Johannesburg, South Africa5 contributions
Hi - we are down in Stellenbosch next weekend and we are wanting to come and do a tasting on 8th August - please could you let me know if we can book for this? What is the cost? And what times do you have available - it would only be for two of us. Thanks a million and looking forward to hearing from you
Best Regards
Mandy
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Claim your listingStark-Condé Wines - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Stark-Condé Wines
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Stark-Condé Wines:
- Guided Bike Tour of Stellenbosch (From $63.77)
- Private Wine Tour with Wine Expert to Stellenbosch-Franschhoek Wine Regions (From $185.27)
- Stellenbosch E-Bike (Half Day) Wine Farm Tour (From $59.96)
- Private Stellenbosch Winery Safari - Full Day (From $87.21)
- Stark-Conde and Tokara Wine Tasting all inclusive (From $158.07)
- Hotels near Stark-Condé Wines:
- (0.15 mi) Glenconner Cottages
- (0.46 mi) Old Nectar
- (1.46 mi) Lanzerac Hotel & Spa
- (1.96 mi) Van der Stel Manor
- (1.93 mi) Keren's Vine
- Restaurants near Stark-Condé Wines:
- (0.04 mi) Postcard Cafe
- (2.97 mi) Helena's Restaurant
- (2.97 mi) Stellenbosch Kitchen
- (2.89 mi) Fat Butcher
- (2.39 mi) Delaire Graff Restaurant
Stark-Condé Wines Information
Excellent Reviews | 163 |
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Very Good Reviews | 48 |
Stark-Condé Wines Photos | 165 |