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.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • JohnTGN
    Seminyak, Indonesia381 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wow what sheer beauty
    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!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 16 September 2023
  • KestasKS
    Vilnius, Lithuania3,733 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great views, wine tasting, restaurant
    Wonderful location, beautiful views, nice hilltops. Wine tasting was really enjoyable, the premium wines wee really nice. Restaurant has some nice options. Great visit!
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled on business
    Written 11 May 2024
  • vnishith
    Houston, Texas173 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Winery and Ambiance. Stunning Views
    This is a great winery within the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, which is also worth a visit. Postcard Cafe serves food and wine and wine tasting is held in a deck with a glass walked room over a beautiful pond with a touch of Asian landscaping. Views of the mountains are spectacular.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 May 2024
  • ChessFalcon
    Hong Kong, China59 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dining out in paradise
    We flew to Cape Town from Hong Hong Kong and this was one of the highlights. An old friend of mine took us to a surprise location, which turned out to be Stark-Condé. We don't drink, but immensely enjoyed the serenity surrounding the restaurant! The vegan meals we had there were from the top drawer and at a very affordable price (for comparative purposes, the 3 of us all had a big meal with drinks at a lower price than we paid Ocean Basket in Strand). After lunch, we spent several hours walking around at the lake and vineyards, admiring the view and red knobbed coots (see attached pics).
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 9 June 2024
  • Mauro Ghilardi
    Rome, Italy698 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good tasting, no visit
    We came to visit the estate and do a wine tasting. Unfortunately the cellar want open for visiting. However the tasting was fairly good. We had two high end wines tasting and one of the more normal. Good organization, nice environment, pretty cozy tasting room with nice view on the lake and fireplace. Worth a stop. We paid roughly 28€ for three tastings.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 August 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles232 reviews
Excellent
166
Very good
49
Average
8
Poor
6
Terrible
3

Penny L
Rondebosch, South Africa65 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
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 12 February 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
1.0 of 5 bubbles
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 10 February 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.

mariovos2015
Grez-Doiceau, Belgium69 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
We stopped visiting this restaurant a couple of years ago because the service wasn’t very friendly. But this year we gave it another shot, and we were pleasantly surprised. Very friendly service, excellent food and the wine is one of the best in Stellenbosch. Postcards is back on our list of favourite restaurants in the ‘Stellies’.
Written 6 February 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.

Rekewa
43 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
July 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 13 July 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.

vnishith
Houston, TX173 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
This is a great winery within the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, which is also worth a visit. Postcard Cafe serves food and wine and wine tasting is held in a deck with a glass walked room over a beautiful pond with a touch of Asian landscaping. Views of the mountains are spectacular.
Written 29 May 2024
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.

KestasKS
Vilnius, Lithuania3,733 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Business
Wonderful location, beautiful views, nice hilltops. Wine tasting was really enjoyable, the premium wines wee really nice. Restaurant has some nice options. Great visit!
Written 11 May 2024
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
17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 25 January 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, Indonesia381 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 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 17 September 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.

Mauro Ghilardi
Rome, Italy698 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
We came to visit the estate and do a wine tasting. Unfortunately the cellar want open for visiting. However the tasting was fairly good. We had two high end wines tasting and one of the more normal. Good organization, nice environment, pretty cozy tasting room with nice view on the lake and fireplace. Worth a stop. We paid roughly 28€ for three tastings.
Written 6 August 2024
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, Australia585 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
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 27 January 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.

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