Over a Century of Wine History
The Fantesca property was originally the dowry of Caroline Bale when she married Charles Krug in 1860. Even then, the site was recognized as prime mountain vineyard land. In 1889, a Cabernet Sauvignon from this property made by Hannah Weinberger achieved one of the first awards for a wine from the Napa Valley.
Today, Fantesca Estate & Winery encompasses 53 acres, nine of which were planted in 1997 to Cabernet Sauvignon, with one acre to Petit Verdot. The full-scale modern winery was built in 2001, and the adjacent vineyard is farmed in accordance with sustainable management practices.
Fantesca’s wine cave is built into the side of Spring Mountain, and the rock face now exposed is rumored to have once been a stone quarry. The cave stretches 280 feet beneath a ridge of Spring Mountain, offering spectacular storage and aging capacities for Fantesca’s wines and those of their custom crush clients.
On the other side of the cave is the Hoff’s Napa home, complete with extensive gardens bearing everything from pumpkins and tomatoes to corn and kiwi, plus a swimming pool, olive trees, and stunning vistas of Mt. St. Helena and the Palisades. An ideal home for cooking for friends and entertaining, the house has several indoor and outdoor dining areas and an outdoor grilling area. Susan and Duane’s ideal way to spend their free time is to pick fresh fruit and vegetables from their gardens and cook for family and friends – serving Fantesca wines, of course!
