Weekly Roundup
Editor’s note: The following are excerpts
from this week's biggest news makers on
campus. The Battalion wanted to include
this feature in its Saturday editions so for
mer students and visitors to campus could
learn of this week's events.
Monday, Sept. 9
Texas A&M's student organizations
were out in force Sunday at the 1991
Open House, giving thousands of stu
dents the opportunity to find out about
groups with interests ranging from the
environmental to opera.
Tuesday, Sept. 10
GEOLOGY TAs SHAKE UP SYSTEM
WITH LIST OF COMPLAINTS
Texas A&M geology teaching assis
tants are upset about salary differences
between first-year TAs and experi
enced TAs because of confusion caused
by the University's budget situation.
The Geology Graduate Student
Council presented Dr. Mel Friedman,
dean of the College of Geosciences,
with a list of grievances Sept. 6.
Dr. John Spang, geology depart
ment head, said he is aware of the stu
dents' concerns, but recent changes in
the budget situation have not allowed
the department to finalize any deci
sions on the issue.
Wednesday, Sept. 11
UNIVERSITY LIMITS NUMBER
OF Q-DROPS
The University's expanded Q-drop
period will make Texas A&M students
think about classes they might consider
dropping, but the new format will help
students in the long run, said the Uni
versity's registrar.
Donald Carter said Monday these
changes were made to benefit students
and to make running the University
more efficient.
Thursday, Sept. 12
FACULTY PAY RAISE CONSIDERED
UNREALISTIC, UNATTAINABLE
The Texas Faculty Associations de
mand for a 3 percent salary increase in
addition to the 2 percent jump already
approved by state Comptroller John
Sharp is unrealistic for Texas A&M, a
University official said Wednesday.
Dr. E. Dean Gage, A&M provost
and senior vice president, said the Uni
versity already has scraped its last pen
ny looking for funds to stem the tide of
the current budget crunch.
James Burnside, assistant to the di
rector of the TFA, said the funds for the
increase could come from various "un
restricted local fund balances."
Friday, Sept. 13
UNIVERSITY PLANS LESSON *
HOUSING CONTROVERSY
Plans to begin demolition of Uni
versity owned Brazos Duplexes in Oc
tober are causing less controversy than
the original plans announced last
April.
The original plans, which called for
the complete destruction of the build
ings by August, were criticized as be
ing unfair to graduate students. Resi
dents complained the evictions did not
allow them enough time to locate hous
ing that fit their limited incomes.
LOCAL POLICE PREPARED FOR
PROBLEMS AT FOOTBALL GAME
Alcohol has become a growing
problem at Aggie home football games,
and fans better be ready to pay the
price if they decide to drink during the
games, local law enforcement officials
say.
The large amount of alcohol con
sumed during game day causes some
problems, Lt. Bert Kretzschmar, crime
prevention officer in the University' Po
lice Department, said.
"We see some fights and make a lot of
arrests, especially at LSU games," he
said.
THOUSANDS ATTEND 1991
OPEN HOUSE
TEXAS A&M BOOKSTORE
invites you to come and have
Linda Ellerbee
autograph her book "Move On"
Friday, Sept. 13
from 2-3 p.m.
and Saturday, Sept. 14
from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
in the TAMU Bookstore -
MSC.
Parking will be available on Friday
for anyone who purchases a copy
of Linda Ellerbee's "Move On."
TEXAS A&M BOOKSTORE
REGULAR STORE HOURS:
Mon-Thur /8AM-6PM
Friday /8AM-5PM
Saturday /10AM-5PM
Summer semesters &
between semesters:
Mon-Fri /8AM-5PM
Sat & Sun /Closed
For your shopping
convenience, store
hours are extended
during many special
events and at the
start of semesters.
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8 dBed
.Hay, Septerr.faer 14. 1991
Page 9
'Best wine of the decade'
Messina Hof offers new diversions for Ags
By Martha Rice
^^^^^BattalionGamedat^^^^^^
Where does the "Best Wine of the
Decade" come from? France, maybe?
Or California? How about Bryan, home
of Messina Hof Wine Cellars and Vine
yards? Messina Hof touts the 1989
Texas Chardonnay Private Reserve,
which received first-place honors in the
"Texas/France Shoot-Out," a blind
taste test between eight Texas and four
French Chardonnays.
This fall, Messina Hof is planning
special events every weekend, some
correspond to holidays and others cater
to visitors attending Texas A&M foot
ball games.
"Each weekend will have a theme,"
said Mike Michaelis, Messina Hof's re
tail sales manager. "Sometimes Texas
artists (including those who have de
signed wine bottle labels for the win
ery) will be displaying their work in
the lobby. Some weekends, local high
school jazz bands will be playing. As it
gets closer to Thanksgiving, our
themes will turn to the culinary, and
local chefs will cook dishes for visitors
to sample."
Like the winery's grape-oriented gift
shop, which sells condiments made
with Messina Hof wine, baskets of
pruned Messina Hof grapevine twigs
and home wine-making kits, the Messi
na Hof deli serves pates, cheeses, and
other foods that compliment wine.
Throughout football season, the
Norman Watson, a volunteer picker from
Cedar Park, helps cut grapes during Messina
Hofs harvest this summer. Messina Hof was
gourmet deli will sell box lunches for
picnics at the lake near the Messina
Hof vineyards before and after games.
Messina Hof Winery took root in 1977
when Paul Bonarrigo and his wife Mer
rill started a vineyard, despite pes
simism from many. People thought
only the wild varieties of grapes would
grow successfully in Texas. But in fact,
Texas has a history of winemaking
Sondra N. Robbins/The Battalion
awarded first place honors in the
"Texas/France Shoot-out," a chardonnay
taste competition.
stretching back to the Spanish Conquis
tadors and missionaries. Bonarrigo's
grapes flourished in the fertile Brazos
hills, and in its first year, Messina Hof
made 5,000 gallons of wine.
Today the winery produces more
than 50,000 gallons and has become the
third largest producer of Texas wines,
and winner of more than 180 awards
for excellence in international, national
and regional competition.
It is no accident the Bonarrigos have
become successful winemakers. Paul's
family traces its ancestry to Messina,
Sicily, where a succession of first-bom
sons practiced the art of winemaking.
The Bonarrigos' Messina Hof today
grows a variety of grapes to produce
such award-winning labels as "Texas
Blush," "Vino Di Amore Rosso," and,
of course, the "Texas Chardonnay."
Harvesting grapes begins in mid-July,
and wine lovers throughout the state
vie for the chance to stomp a few
grapes that will become wine.
"We give the 100 or so volunteers a
knife, a cup of coffee, and a lug (a large
basket) and they pick the grapes," said
Dwayne Yount, a Messina Hof tour
guide. "In the afternoon we have a
wine and cheese party, and they (vol
unteers) get to sample wine from the
same kind of grapes they have picked.
They get to experience winemaking
firsthand."
This weekend, and the weekends of
Sept. 28 and 29 and Oct. 26 and 27 fea
ture special A&M football themes. Visi
tors planning to attend games can relax
with a complimentary Messina Hof
tour and winetasting. Tours are free,
but call for reservations.
The wine cellars are about four miles
out of Bryan. To get there, travel east
on Highway 21 for 2.5 miles, then turn
right on Wallis Road. Follow the signs
to the vineyards. For more information,
call (409) 778-WINE (9463).
CAontracts for
the ’92
Aggieland
are now
available for:
* Organizations
* Sports Clubs
* Corps (specialty unit*).
*RHA
Contracts may be picked up in
Rm. 230 Reed McDonald. For
questions please call 845-2681
"You outta be
in pictures "
Get your picture taken for
the Aggieland!
Sept. 9 - Oct. 4
at AR Photography
707 Texas Ave.
9 am-5 pm