About Suzanne Hoffman
Suzanne Hoffman is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, a “recovered” attorney, and passionate storyteller about the lives of Italian wine families. Although she has called the Swiss Alps and Colorado Rockies home for most of her adult life, Suzanne grew up in Thibodaux, in the heart of Louisiana bayou country where she spent her childhood dreaming of distant shores.
Suzanne realized those dreams and, for over two decades, lived and worked in Switzerland. From their home in Valais and with their miniature Schnauzer Otis, Suzanne and her husband explored the wine-growing regions of Italy and France.
As a lover of the road less taken, Suzanne discovered Piemonte in 1999 at a time when
American tourists were flocking to Tuscany. She soon immersed herself in the enchanting Italian region’s rich culture and history. In 2016, Suzanne published her first book, Labor of Love: Wine Family Women of Piemonte, an award-winning, groundbreaking collection of the life stories of Giulia Colbert Falletti, the last Marchesa of Barolo, and generations of twenty-two families of Piemonte’s Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato wine-producing areas. Against a rich historical backdrop, Suzanne studied the seismic cultural and business changes in the Piemontese wine industry that allowed women to step from the shadows and assume significant roles in their families’ wine estates.
During the pandemic era, taking all she learned during her first 21 years exploring Piemonte, Suzanne penned her second book and debut novel, Angel of Alta Langa: A Novel of Love and War. She often says writing a book inspired by the struggles of the Piemontese during the Nazi occupation gave her courage to face the uncertainties of 2020.
When not at home in the States, Suzanne can be found exploring the Alps and wineries of Piemonte and Sicily where she finds inspiration for her writing—and for her life. She loves horses, nature, and beauty in all its forms.
