Arthur Hoffmann had a long association with the region’s wine industry; principally in viticulture, although he did work the still in the early days of Chateau Comaum. Arthur Hoffmann’s viticultural training was hands on. His skill in the vineyard was learned from his work in Coonawarra vineyards, primarily the Stentiford and Johnson vineyards along with his family’s vineyards, also in Coonawarra.
Even though the government of the day in the 1930s was offering subsidy to pull vines and encouraging dairy farming, Arthur continued to grow grapes and sold his fruit to Bill Redman who said the great wines of Rouge Homme came from Hoffman vineyards. In 1965 Arthur sold his 60-year-old Shiraz block to the fledgling Redman Wines and he continued his association with the Redmans in the vineyard and cellar door until his retirement in 1990 aged 87. Arthur Hoffmann passed away in 1994.