Having just returned from my honeymoon there, I quickly fell in love with the culture, people and food. So, I had to double-check myself when I first arrived at Stark-Condé, as I was convinced there was a subtle, yet distinct Japanese feel to the place. From the weeping willow draped over the pagoda-style tasting room, to the koi in the water and the design of the labels, I was seeing elements of Japan everywhere … was it just me?
A Cultural Crossover
Within moments of meeting owner José Condé (a powerhouse name that would comfortably offshoot as a brand all on its own if you ask me), I found out it wasn’t just my imagination.
Sporting a straw hat and a mid-western accent, José is a natural at farm life. Yet it wasn’t always this way. Before he started winemaking at Stark-Condé, he lived in New York, studying fine art and then working in design, complete with an impressive stint at the New York Times. When one of José’s Japanese clients asked him to move to Tokyo, he decided to cross the pond. Within a period of 5 years, he learned Japanese (highly impressive considering it took me about a week to learn how to say thank you properly while there), met his wife Marie and together they had two daughters.
“I met my wife on my first night in Tokyo actually. Marie’s mother Midori is Japanese and her father, Hans-Peter Schröder, is South African. Marie always wanted to be closer to her parents, so in 1997 we moved to Stellenbosch,” José reflects.
As it turns out, Marie’s parents Hans and Midori were grape growers and owned the property of Oude Nektar (now called Stark-Condé).
While chatting with José, we’re simultaneously driving up some off-road terrain in a bakkie to an area called ‘The Three Pines’ for a 360° view of the farm. As we make our way up, José points out special blocks to me, such as the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vineyard on the farm, as well as the Oude Nektar Cabernet Sauvignon block, which at 550m above sea-level, is the highest vineyards on the farm, let alone the area.
“We had to get special permission to plant these vines so high. Due to the aspect, this vineyard gets about 20 minutes extra sunshine which makes a big difference to the ripeness of the fruit. In 2008, we planted the vines. It burned down in 2009 just before harvest. But within 3 months we had replanted, and this vineyard continues to produce some of the finest Cabernet fruit I’ve worked with.”
Once the bakkie reaches the peak, José and I hop out to admire the view. It’s one of the first hot days of the fast-approaching summer, with a berg breeze quickly heating up the hibernating earth beneath it. From where we stand, my first impression is how large the property actually is - something I couldn’t tell when at the bottom.
“We own 250 hectares of land here, but only about 40 hectares are under vine. A lot of the area is too steep to plant, but we have selected pockets that work best,” says José.
Compared to the concrete sprawling megalopolis of Tokyo, there is just SO much open space here. To my left is Jonkershoek Valley, ahead is a bit of the Helderberg mountain range, to my right and in the far off distance I can see Lion’s Head, and behind me is the Banhoek Mountain. The entire farm seems cradled by mountain rock and sky, creating a little microclimate all its own.
“Thanks to the steep mountain walls, Jonkershoek really does have a unique microclimate,” explains José. “The mountains trap in the rain clouds during the wintertime, meaning we have double the average rainfall from the rest of Stellenbosch. In 2018, where Stellenbosch was in an extreme drought and had around 300mm of rain, we had 700mm. It’s a very special spot.”
As I find myself getting distracted by the spectacular view and learning about the farm, the journalist in me ushers in one key question: HOLD THE PHONE, how in the world does a successful, creative city slicker make the switch to winemaking and go on to become an award-winning one too? Just somma? So I ask.
6 Barrels And A Book
José laughs and says:
“When I came out, I was originally planning on opening a design studio and I suppose I had an early mid-life crisis at 32. I didn’t want to spend my life in front of a computer. And I always enjoyed getting my hands dirty and making things. So, I had this idea to try something small and work it up.”
So where did he start? He went to the library to learn. And he started to speak to people who were making wine on a very small, handcrafted scale. Which, as it turns out, there weren’t many back then.
“I asked if I could intern with a few small-scale winemakers, and I got turned down by everybody. It was a different time. So, I thought I would just try it myself. I started with 6 barrels and my book. I didn’t know anything. But someone had told me that wine would make itself, and the most important thing is to get the best grapes you can. This was really great advice that I still abide by to this day.”
Very soon, what started off as making wine in “the shack at the back”, turned into José’s first Cabernet Sauvignon, a 1998, which was awarded Platter five stars. With a show-stopping inaugural performance like that, José was quickly flung onto the map and continued to specialise in Cabernet for 10 years. “You have to make what you like,” he adds. In due course, Stark-Condé was also born.
“Originally, my father-in-law was doing grape growing for other wine farms, but as my winemaking business grew, about 12 years ago, we put the businesses together into Stark-Condé. Condé is my surname and Stark is Marie’s - Stark was Marie’s grandmother, and she was the first of the family to settle in Stellenbosch. In fact, Marie comes from a long lineage of strong women,” muses José. “Hans and I decided to concentrate on doing estate wines and developing the farm and making the best out of what we have.”
Swimming Upstream
In due course, José's wine glass overflowed, and he needed to share the winemaking responsibilities with another talent. Enter Rudger van Wyk.
Born in George and with a rugby-player physique, Rudger is warm and approachable, with a self-assured presence. After watching his middle brother become a winemaker, Rudger was intrigued by the world of wine. “I tend to swim upstream and wanted to study something a little different from the status quo. So, I thought winemaking would be a great fit.”
Following his Stellenbosch University winemaking studies, Rudger gained experience at Uitkyk Wine Farm, before becoming a Cape Winemaker’s Guild protégé, where he worked with Abrie Beeslaar, cellar master at Kanonkop Wine Estate and Bernhard Veller, owner and cellar master of Nitida. Having previously visited Stark-Condé as a visitor, he fell in love with the farm and enquired about any winemaker positions. At that point, José was still running what was a relatively small boutique winery, but a few years later, in 2015, Rudger saw an advertisement for Stark-Condé assistant winemaker. It was meant to be, and within 3 years, he was promoted to winemaker.
“It’s a dream come true working here. I can have my personality stamped on the wine, with the Round Mountain Sauvignon Blanc being quite close to my heart as we started making it the year I arrived. Of course, Stark-Condé is known for our Cabernet Sauvignon, and all our wines are handcrafted, but the goal is making wines that José and I love to drink. We’re also busy shifting to organic and are in our second year of conversion. You can really see the vineyard come to life” says Rudger.
While tasting through the wines, each of which I enjoy more than its predecessor, José sits down with us in the newly-extended tasting room, which is located on the water opposite the Postcard Café.
The Stark-Condé Signature
As our wine tasting comes to a close, I learn one final fact that makes me realise how intentional the Japanese influence has been on the brand. As it turns out, Marie and Jose designed their own labels and logo, which José explains was inspired by the Japanese ‘hanko’ or seal.
In Japan, people do not use their signature on documents, but rather, use their personal ‘hanko’ stamps to acknowledge authorship.
“One of my favourite elements of Japanese culture is their love of the craft. The master craftsman is the most respected and highest position one can achieve. It’s not about how much money you make, but it’s about this idea that you can dedicate your life to a craft. And whatever that craft is, it is highly respected. That’s why to me, winemaking is a craft. I try to talk about that in the cellar. But when you reach your craft at the highest level, it becomes art,” ends José.
I pick up a bottle and examine the logo closely - it’s a pine tree (one of the three from the top of the hill), designed to be reminiscent of the red ink used in traditional ‘hanko’ stamps. I appreciate the subtlety. In fact, I love it.
Indeed, it’s much like everything about Stark-Condé - the wine and brand are not loud and audacious. Rather, it’s unassuming and requires a quiet moment of reflection, an awareness, and appreciation for detail.
It’s the Stark-Condé signature - and it certainly leaves its mark.
