Make Plans for Messina Hof’s Wine and Roses Festival
Paul Vincent Bonarrigo left his native New Jersey to work as a Physical Therapist at Bryan-College Station. Being the first-born son, he was taught the wine-making process by his Family. This sixth-generation winemaker learned his wine-making skills from his Italian Family roots from Messina, Sicily. One of Paul’s patients was a researcher at Texas A and M University who found that it was viable to grow grapes of great quality in Texas. While working in Texas, Paul met this blonde German descendent from Hof, Germany by the name of Merrill. In 1977, they were married. This marriage led to planting a small one-acre research vineyard near their home based on the information from Paul’s Aggie patient.. Grapes were harvested from this vineyard in 1980 which eventually led to the establishment of Messina Hof Winery in 1981. In 1982, the Bonariggo Family was blest with a son, Paul Mitchell. In 1984 with their two-year old son, the Bonarrigo Family celebrated their first “Spring-Fest.” This wine festival eventually became a Family celebration called “Wine and Roses Festival. The Messina Hof Winery and their son both grew over the years with Paul M. enlisting in the armed forces and serving two tours of duty in the Middle East. In 2010, Paul M. returned to Texas to enter the Family winemaking business. In 2012, Paul M. took over the reins as the Chief Winemaker with his wife Karen taking over the Winery Administration. This marriage brought the next generation of winemakers, being Sophia Marie and Paul Anthony who as teenagers plan to be the eighth generation of winemakers in the Bonarrigo Family. Messina Hof Winery is centered on Family and traditions, These three generations at Messina Hof Winery have evolved to become the “the First Family of Texas wine.”
Messina Hof Winery in Bryan continues this “Spring-Fest” now called “Wine and Roses Festival.” On April 25, bring your Family to this family-friendly wine festival!
• Sip award-winning Texas wines on the winery grounds
• Attend Food and Wine Pairing Classes.
• Tour their winery operations.
• Shop Texas vendors and artisans on the winery grounds.
• Stroll through the vineyards with a glass of wine in hand.
• Support the arts by voting in the 36th Annual Messina Hof Winery Artist Wine Label Competition.
• Gather your team and stomp your heart out in the Grape Stomp Competition.
• Enjoy Vineyard Cuisine, food vendors, and more.
• Take in the sights and sounds in the winery’s fun and interactive wine classes.
• Tour the winery’s onsite Bed and Breakfast Facilities to book your special getaway.
• Enjoy their beautiful winery lake along with a glass of their wine.
• Purchase special bottles of wine found only at the winery. Explore their Paulo Series which competes with the “cream of the California wines.”

I hope you will enjoy me in celebrating all that is great with Texas’ “First Family of Texas Wine.” In the interim, why not submit your art for the wine label competition by the noon deadline on March 6th to be considered to be on a Texas wine label. Entries are $25.00 with proceeds benefiting the Arts Center of Brazos Valley. Tickets and art competition details can be found online at www.MessinaHof.com.