Next to Last Day

 

We had a slower paced day for our next to last, penultimate, day of the wine tour. It was nice to get back to the hotel about 3:30 for a nap or shopping, or even writing this blog. 

Punching Down the Berries
Starke-Condé, Stellenbosch, ZA
February 22, 2025

After breakfast, we loaded the bus and headed off to Stark-Condé for a tour and wine tasting with the owners. Again, it is harvest season and this wine cellar was definitely in full working mode.

The cellar tour was comprehensive and informative. We sampled juice in different stages of fermentation and watched the winemaker demonstrate how to punch down the berries. 

Stark-Condé Barrel Room
Stellenbosch, ZA
February 

After the tour, we headed off to the island tasting room. Yes, it is on an island in the middle of a bucolic lake. It truly was a different take on a tasting room and provided good separation from the Post-Card Restaurant which adjoins the winery. 

The tasting room sits on an island protected by a large willow tree. Once on the island, the tasting room is a beautifully arranged place to enjoy wine while communing with nature as I watched innumerable birds fly past and into the nearby trees. 

Headed to the Island Tarting Room
Stark-Condé, Stellenbosch, ZA
February 22, 2025

While we were there, we enjoyed tasting five wines, two whites, the 2023 Round Mountain Sauvignon Blanc and the 2023 Field Blend which is made from Roussanne, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, and Viognier. Following these two nice whites, we tasted their three flagship Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The wines were the 2020 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (which is called the Stellenbosch Cab Sauv on the price list), The 2019 Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2018 Oude Nectar Cabernet Sauvignon. All three contain some portions and combinations of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec. All of the wines had a very nice price point and are available in the United States--which is awesome.

Lievland Rose
Lievland Wine Estate
February 22, 2025

Next up was lunch at Lievland Cafe next to the Lievland Wine Estate. We began our visit with a very nice Lievland Rose which was made from Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsaut. We learned a bit about the winery, including the symbol of cupid riding a springbok. Apparently, the springbok which is a type of antelope was given to the previous owners and they placed it in a pen with horses. The horses adopted the springbok and it began thinking it was a horse. So there was love between the horses and the springbok. 

Lievland Barrel Room
February 22, 2025

After the telling of the story, Tom Lennon, the winemaker came out and chatted with us about the winery and we got a short tour of the cellar. I was impressed with the apparent age of some of the barrels. Following the discussion in the barrel room we went into the restaurant for another gourmet lunch. While there we enjoyed two more wines, 2024 Chenin Blanc and 2023 Pinotage. Both were sourced from grapes in the Paarl Region. The winery is actively planting vines and expects to begin producing more estate wines in the near future. 

Wow! What a great day it was. We hopped into the bus and made our way to the hotel in Stellenbosch for a relaxing afternoon. 

Today is the final day of our wine expedition and we are looking forward to a winery in the morning, lunch and a probable tearful good-bye dinner. It truly has been an experience not to be forgotten.

Picture of the Day
The Mountains from the Tasting Room
Stark-Condé Winery
February 22, 2025

-- Bob Doan, Stellenbosch, South Africa