During the first two Saturdays and Sundays in February, the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail wineries will be hosting the Wine and Chocolate Trail. The Wine and Chocolate Trail is a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. When you arrive at your first winery, you will receive a Commemorative Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail glass to use and keep for all of your tastings. Ticket holders will also receive a specially selected Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail gift at their sixth stop, while supplies last.
Guests have the option to start at the winery of their choice. Trail tickets are valid for one visit at each of the wineries during the two weekends of the trail, regardless of when tickets are purchased. 
 The official hours for this event are Noon to 5:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday for each trail weekend, regardless of the wineries’ individual tasting room hours. The following wineries will be participating:
• Bernhardt Winery,
• Messina Hof Winery,
• Peach Creek Winery,
• Perrine Winery
• Pleasant Hill Winery,
• Saddlehorn Winery, and
• Texas Star Winery.
Tickets must be purchased online at www.localwineevents.com, with tickets selling at $35.00 per individual adult or $56.00 for a couple.
Texas Vineyards
The vineyards along the Gulf Coast, including Harris, Montgomery, and Waller Counties will be seeing a lot of human intervention called pruning. Since the Gulf Coast has mild winters, pruning is done much earlier than California and other parts of Texas. Pruning controls not only how the grapevine grows, but it is used to limit the amount of grapes each vine will produce. The grapevine is founded on its root system. Too many grapes pulling nutrition from the root system will cause plump grapes with little character since the root system cannot sufficiently provide the required nutrition. Reducing the grape load to a suitable level will produce grapes which get the suitable proportioned nutrition from its roots. In other words, lower grape production will provide grapes with a suitable level of root nutrition which will display the grape varietals characteristics. This provides grapes which will produce a better wine. If you want to learn firsthand about vineyard pruning, check out these local vineyards for a hands-on experience in the vineyards:
• Wild Stallion Vineyards off West Rayford Road in Harris County has free vineyard seminar led by Fritz Westover, a renowned national viticulturist on Saturday, February 8th starting at 8:30. Reservations are a MUST at by calling 281-803-9463 or emailing Wild Stallion Vineyards [email protected].
• Bernhardt Winery off SH 105 will be hosting vineyard pruning in their vineyards on Saturday, February 8th and Sunday, February 9th.
Haak Winery in Galveston County held their pruning day on January 12th. If you are going into a vineyard, wear appropriate clothing including closed toed shoes. Please bring pruning shears and an appetite to learn. Grape Vine wreaths can be made from the cuttings or you can growth new grape vines using a grape vine shoot with at least seven buds.
Bernhardt Winery Winter Concert Series
The weather over the next three months is normally cold, wet, and windy so the Bernhardt’s have moved their concerts inside their winery event room. The settings are intimate, warm, and friendly. Since the winery event room is limited in size, this series of events is on a reservation basis only for the first 60 paid reservations. Outstanding music, buffet appetizers and desert are provided with patrons providing their own main courses for their meals. Concert admission with appetizers and desert is $35 per adult. The event room opens at 4:15 PM with a “Meet and Greet” in the Winery’s Soleil Room with appetizers followed by the concert running through 7 PM. There will be a concert intermission and a “Sunset Toast.” Please call (936) 894-9829 to make your reservation for a memorable Sunday afternoon. Upcoming concerts include:
• February 23rd – Bayou Roux celebrates Mardi Gras
• February 29th – Shake Russell and Michael Hearne from noon to 6 in this special concert.
• March 15th – Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos
• April 18th – Chocolate, Strawberry and Wine Festival