Who is Duane Hoff?

Running a winery is not an easy task. An owner has to be determined and fearless. Love and passion for wine is not enough when starting a very tough business.

The Fantesca Estate & Winery in the Napa Valley region has been in the business since 2004. Its 10-acre vineyard produces some of the best quality of wines in the area. However, it is not just wine that they offer but also extra virgin olive oils from their own olive trees and honey from their own bee hives. None of this would be possible but for the people behind the production. One of the most important people in the Fantesca Estate & Winery is none other than its founder, Duane Hoff.

The Fantastic Man Behind Fantesca 

Duane Hoff is the proprietor of Fantesca Estate & Winery alongside his wife, Susan Hoff. Long before his success in the wine industry, Duane worked as an Assistant Store Manager at Best Buy in 1992 (where he was actually recruited by his wife). Through years of hard work, he eventually become the Vice President of Business Development and Strategy in 1998. In those years, Duane’s development of the company small store initiative allowed them to generate great sales as they entered new markets. All of his hard work paid off when Best Buy gained recognition as one of the Fortune 100 companies.

In 2004, he left Best Buy and, together with his wife, bought a 53-acre parcel with a 10-acre vineyard in the Spring Mountain District to start their new venture, the Fantesca Estate & Winery. This business venture was initiated due in part to the couple’s shared passion for wine. Their prior experience in Best Buy also helped them tremendously in managing the winery. 

Duane has become an active part of the community and constantly raises money for educational and leadership opportunities of St. Helena students. Duane maintains an active and dynamic lifestyle by doing triathlons, surfing, and rugby. Just like a great bottle of wine, Duane keeps getting better with age.

Fantesca

As with all businesses, everything starts with a good name. Duane and Susan described wines as the center of every celebration. Thus, they wanted to create wines that have the highest level of quality and collectability. The name Fantesca was derived from one of the characters in the early theatrical performances of Commedia dell’Arte, La Fantesca. She was described as “smart, sexy, and unpretentious” and could always charm the audience. Duane and his wife thought the name was perfect and suitable for what they had envisioned. 

Fantesca not only aims to produce the best wines but also to give the best experience to the consumers. A Fantesca wine makes sure that those who drink it will have the same entertaining effect just like a great theatrical performance.

Learn more about Fantesca Estate & Winery and their outstanding people, or book a private tour of the estate and wine tasting by filling out the form here.