Our Story
How it all started
Susan and Duane Hoff were college sweethearts. While attending the University of Minnesota, Susan worked at a stereo shop called Sound of Music. By the time the couple married several years later, the company had grown to 12 stores — and by the time their first child was born, 50. No longer called Sound of Music, the store was now known as Best Buy. Both Susan and Duane continued to
establish successful careers in Minneapolis, helping grow Best Buy into the Fortune 100 company it is today. Eventually they were both ready to trade fast-paced corporate lifestyles for a new way of life — one where they could start a business as a family. In 2004, Susan and Duane purchased a 53-acre parcel with a 10-acre vineyard and named it Fantesca Estate & Winery.
Fantesca’s namesake
The name of the winery comes from a character in the Italian comedy troupe that inspired Cirque Du Soleil. La Fantesca was the single female character in the early theatrical performances of Commedia dell’Arte. Both the lover and the equal of the protagonist, Harlequin, Fantesca could always be counted on to charm the audience. When we heard Fantesca described as ”Sexy, Smart, and Unpretentious,” we knew we had found a name worth living up to.
“To us, great wine isn’t a trophy to collect, but a treasure to be shared with family and close friends.”
— Susan & Duane Hoff, Proprietors —
Philosophy
In our own lives, wine tends to be at the center of every celebration. Gatherings of family and friends lead to sharing stories and giving thanks for the gifts of health, friendship, and love — all over a great bottle of wine.
It is an honor to have our wines grace the tables of friends all over the country and throughout the world, as they celebrate and share these wines with those they hold close.
Our mission is to create wines at the highest level of rare quality and collectability. Not only do we strive to produce the best wines we can make, we also seek to provide a highly memorable experience for our allocation members.
