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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1991)
r e and 13 • sprin- WO mil- suming has no e pop- an aii favorite ' bag by Educa- can use ie pro- 1th cen- Battalion ford ol »n't be- :s dead, iped his ow. d using or prop- Texans anuary. : bills go :hool fi- was de- ding in school omes to do not tes, and debate aded to Rational nd who !\L® in when nfection asearch \L® not the i cream VL® Tuesday, July 23,1981 The Battalion ^ Cheers to Harvest *91! Grape pickers return to Messina Hof Vineyards to snip, stomp and savor this year’s crop For fun, pickers are given the opportunity to stomp grapes after a morning of picking. With its weeping willows casting over the lake and its cool grass being gently warmed by the sun,Messina Hoi WineCellars sits exquisitely hidden from the sum mertime heat of Bryan-CollegeSta tion. Not many people know about this wonderful escape spot - per fect for a romantic picnic or just a leisurely day spent sitting on the terrace sipping some of the Brazos Valley's most crisp, lively wines. And while the summer heat withers and dries the greenery around us, the vineyards at Messina Hof are basking in the sun, cultivating berries rich in fla vor and aroma - just waiting to be harvested. With good timing, these deli rious fruits are not having to wait a minute more. Harvest time at the winery began Friday. And the Messina Hof Pickers Club is con verging upon the vineyards to bring in the harvest. Comprised of more than 450 volunteers, the Pickers Club begin every year from mid-July through August 4 to experience grape har vesting. Hand pickers come in from surrounding areas; they are of all ages and may have little or no experience with the art of grape picking. For husband and wife duo Raisin and Jim Schwerdfeger of Beaver Creek, this season is their first time to pick grapes. "We've picked peaches and tomatoes before," says Raisin, "but never grapes. The berries are ab solutely beautiful and much sweeter than I thought." Paul Bonarrigo, owner and winemaker, says tne grapes ripen in July. "The perfect green grape starts to raisin and turns an almost honey color," says Bonarrigo. "We're not lookingfora perfectly round grape. It is the shriveled grape that pro vides a concentration of juice. "And that is what gives the wine a classic taste." The classic tastes of Messina Hof are not only due to the "per fect" grape; the winery has also maintained its old style tradition - hand picking thebunches of grapes off each ana every vine. Bonarrigo's wife, Merrill, says (■Pj M Norman Watson, a volunteer picker from Cedar Park, slices off a bunch of grapes at Messina Hof’s harvest. picking the grapes by hand elimi nates the stems and leaves, which cause a bitter flavor. "A lot of vineyards have gone to machine pick ing," says Merrill. "And although the mashing pro cess gets most of the extra stuff out, hand picking makes for a much finer wine." Merrill says many of the pickers return in No vember to taste "their" wine - Chenin Blanc, a fresh and effervescent tasting wine. "They (pickers) really feel like this is their wine afterwards," Merrill says. Returning for his second year, Lester Kinkade of Wharton says it's the fellowship that keeps him com ing back. "I like the fresh air, meeting new people and just being a part of things," Kinkade said. But for the Schwerdfegers, it's the fringe benefits that make the work worthwhile. The pay isn t good, says Jim. We do it for the pickers must remove any leaves or stems when cutting grapes off the vine. wine. Spaces are still available for anyone interested in the harvest. do wine tasting. Pickers should come prepared to do a little grape stomping and Messina Hof also conducts daily tours of the winery. Tours are free. For more information call (409) 778-WINE. Story by Yvonne Salce Photos by Sbndra N. 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