George Hoff never planned on leaving his 160-year-old family farm in Olathe.
But he did just that earlier this year, uprooting his popular Stone Pillar Vineyard & Winery from near the corner of College Boulevard and Woodland Road to move to De Soto.
“It has been bittersweet,” Hoff said. “We ran a good, popular business.”
The first vines were planted 18 years ago at the Olathe farm and eventually grew to approximately 3,000 vines.
Stone Pillar opened three years later and hosted many popular events and Friday night concerts for nearly 15 years.
“We had invested everything,” Hoff said.
The goal was to keep the family farm thriving in Olathe. Most of his kids grew up on the farm, he said. But the abrupt move came after a dispute with his cousin and business partner, Hoff says.
Stone Pillar’s former site has now been remade into an event space dubbed Hometown Olathe Family Farms, owned by Thomas Hoff. The Post was not able to reach Thomas Hoff for comment for this story.
‘Very welcoming’
George Hoff is now focused on Stone Pillar’s new home further west.
“DeSoto has been very welcoming,” Hoff said. “[It] is a beautiful area and the perfect site for us.”
Stone Pillar Winery relaunched this month at the former Happy Valley Farm site, 29080 W. 95th St., in De Soto.
So far, the newly relocated winery has been “well-received.”
“Our loyal customers have been supportive of the move and have come out in droves,” Hoff said.
DeSoto was the ideal location, Hoff said. It’s not too far from Olathe and still close to his existing customer base. The community is family-friendly and the area is growing thanks, in part, to Panasonic’s new electric vehicle battery plant nearby that is about to launch.
“It feels amazing to be in such an odd place of transition, but so welcomed by a new community,” Hoff said.
Stone Pillar operating on limited hours
At their website, Stone Pillar says through the transition to De Soto the winery will operate on limited hours, open Saturdays and Sundays from 1-6 p.m.
The move has been a lengthy process since closing in Olathe in February, Hoff said, but added that he has had positive meetings with the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce and city officials.
“We have been transparent and upfront with De Soto,” Hoff said. “They have been more laid back and more willing to work with us.”
However, they are still trying to figure out how to develop their new home on the De Soto farm with a creek that flows through the valley and some fire pits. They are also rehabbing the land in order to make way for planting grapes.
Hoff plans to keep the same “farm charm” feel, same as their longtime Olathe location.
“We look at things through the customer eyes,” Hoff said. “We try to make something for everyone from the variety of wines to the variety of events.”
Selling bottles at a downtown “cellar”
Hoff has also partnered locally owned Force of Nature Brewing in downtown De Soto to temporarily use their basement, 33015 W. 83rd St., to store 10,000 bottles of wine transported from Olathe.
The space has been named “Cellar 913.”
Stone Pillar also has a tasting booth set up outside every Friday for the city’s new Rhythm and Roots Festival, which hosts live music, local vendors and the farmer’s market.
Hoff believes the credibility of his wine and growing his own grapes has helped solidify his reputation in the area and gain new customers.
He says he hopes to continue the same “sense of community” he established on his family farm in Olathe for the past 15 years.
“A place where you can come out with friends and have a glass of wine,” Hoff said. “I look forward to what our future holds. It feels like home here.”
