Desert Rock Winery & DistillerPaul Hoffman

Paul Hoffman has always had a passion for fine wines and the wine business.  Having over sixteen years experience in hospitality, sales & marketing, distribution,  winemaking/production, and business ownership, he has experienced the world of wine  through many facets. Paul began his career in the hotel industry with Stouffer, and then  Renaissance Resorts, gaining a great understanding of sales and marketing. In 1995 he  took a position as Director of Sales at Bellows International in St. Thomas (USVI) and  expanded his skills in profitably managing a diverse product portfolio and preserving  strong partner relations. Paul left the Caribbean in 2000 and joined Robert Mondavi  Corporation. He moved up quickly through the organization assuming responsibility for  wine education programs, developing a new sales function for private label wine, and  enhancing and developing worldwide sales, marketing and educational programs for fine  wine accounts, including duty free. His organizational contributions in national accounts  and wine education resulted in his selection of the prestigious Michael Mondavi  “Inspiration and Leadership” award.  

In 2002, Paul teamed up with three other partners to follow their passion and start  producing wine. The partners began Medusa & Spellbound Wines. Paul took the helm  and established these two new brands nationally and key international markets. In a two  year period he grew the brands to impressive levels, won several wine quality awards,  received “outstanding” scores from periodicals, and managed the company to a profitable  position.  

In 2006, Paul had the opportunity to partner with a few renowned winegrowers  and harvest grapes from their vineyards to make wine of his own. These wines represent  unique parcels of pristine vineyards in Sonoma County farmed with A+ quality in mind.  In addition to the vineyard and winery influence, Paul believes a large part of wine’s  magic is due to your surroundings while enjoying a bottle, therefore he named the  program, Atmosphere Wines. Knowing these vineyards could only produce a small  amount of wine, Paul decided to create Curveball. These highly acclaimed wines are  focused on putting different appellations, varietals, winemaking techniques and taste  profiles together to represent the best of the vintage. The Rock n Roll infused brand,  Headbanger, launched in 2010 followed by 401K in 2011. In 2014, the Headbanger  brand expanded into spirits with it’s American Gold Whiskey selection. 

In addition to the nationally distributed wine and spirits programs, Paul opened  the Desert Rock Winery-Tasting Room-Educational Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. The  one of a kind Winery operation produces, distributes, and sells their wines and AZ’s Only