Self-taught cellarmaster Jose Conde’s first attempt at winemaking was in 2000, and he chose to experiment with his favorite grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. As luck would have it, his father-in-law Hans Schroder farmed arguably the best Cabernet grapes in the region. Jonkershoek Valley is a pristine valley uniquely situated for farming organically. With its high elevation terrain, ample winter rainfalls, and the cleansing Southeaster breeze that blows through the valley, this area has perfect conditions to produce premium grapes. Winemaking is kept as simple and natural as possible. The pressed juice is fermented with natural yeasts in open-top tanks, with manual punch downs around the clock. The red wines are then aged up to 22 months in French oak barrels and are bottled in most instances without fining or filtration. With a limited production of just over 8000 cases, Stark-Condé remains committed to producing hand-crafted premium wines.