Thursday -July 31, 1997
The Battalion
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Photograph: Brad Graeber
Amy Domenick participates in grape stomping at Messina Hof.
: PHi
By Mandy Cater
The Battalion
M essina HofWine Cellars stands as an
oasis, hidden among the sandy
back roads of Bryan. In an area
deeply rooted in tradition, owners Paul and
Merrill Bonarrigo have spread some roots of
their own.
Nestled among rolling hills and reflective
lakes, Messina Hof’s vineyards have been a
Texas tradition since 1977.
For the Bonarrigos, the winery is a reflec
tion of an important triad: romance, family
and heritage.
The winery’s name is a symbol of this uni
ty. Paul’s ancestral roots reach back to Messi
na, Sicily, and Merrill’s family tree can be
traced to Hof, Germany.
Wine-making has a 200-year history in the
Bonarrigo family. Each generation, the first
born male takes the name Paul, and is passed
the torch as the wine-maker of the next era.
Paul Bonarrigo had this responsibility in
mind when he studied wine at the University
of California at Davis. He moved to Texas in
1976 to open a physical therapy department
at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bryan, where a pa
tient planted the first seeds of inspiration for
Messina Hof.
The patient, a Texas A&M graduate stu
dent, was writing his thesis on the feasibili
ty of grape-growing in the Brazos Valley. His
research concluded that conditions in this
area were ideal for a vineyard. So, with the
family secrets and the new research in hand,
the Bonarrigos decided to give wine-making
a shot.
The result was an experimental one-acre
vineyard.
“It was a hobby at first,” Merrill Bonarrigo said.
“We thought it would be exciting to be pioneers.”
Today, Messina Hof is at the forefront of
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Texas wine-making. In 1983, the first year of
commercial production, the Bryan vineyard
yielded 1,300 gallons of wine. Today the
Bonarrigo vineyards number 17, and Messi
na Hof is expected to produce 112,500 gallons
of wine.
The Bonarrigo’s son, Paul Mitchell Bonar
rigo, the next generation’s wine-maker, sees
the family business as a great opportunity. He
is already learning the skills he will need to
take the reigns in the future.
It was a hobby at
first. We thought it would
be exciting to be pioneers.”
Merrill Bonarrigo
Co-owner of Messina Hof winery
“You never learn the business, not really,”
Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo said. “I just hope I’ll
improve it.”
Mitchell will have some pretty big shoes
to fill, as accolades for Messina Hof pour in
continuously.
According to The Wall Street Journal,
“Texas is the fastest growing wine-producing
region in the country ... and the leader is
Messina HofWine Cellars in Bryan, Texas.”
Messina Hof has won dozens of awards,
quickly becoming the most honored winery
in Texas. The wines have even made their way
to Hollywood. In The Evening Star, the re
cently released sequel to Terms of Endear
ment, Messina Hof wines shared scenes with
Jack Nicholson and Shirley MacLaine.
Messina Hof wine is currently served in the
sky boxes ofTexas Stadium. And soon, Messina
Hof will take to the skies as a beverage choice
for American Airlines’ first class customers.
Even with all this praise and exposure, the
Bonarrigos have their feet firmly planted in
the soil. The Bonarrigos take an active role in
the winery and visitors’ enjoyment. Merrill
Bonarrigo said the main goal of Messina Hof
is to make wine approachable to everyone.
“Wine is generally an intimidating prod
uct,” she said. “We want to make it a staple
at every table. We try our best to make it
user-friendly.”
This year marks Messina Hof’s 20th an
niversary. Over the years, the Bonarrigos
have developed numerous ways to make
their visitors and customers feel like close
family friends.
The winery’s guest center is a cozy his
torical estate, once home to a U.S. Ambas
sador to Uruguay. The second floor has been
transformed into a romantic bed and break
fast hideaway, Vintner’s Loft, complete with
family photos and antiques. The laid-back
atmosphere is made complete with lazy
lakeside hammocks and patio tables blan
keted by umbrellas.
Under Merrill Bonarrigo’s leadership, De
signer Events also offers wedding and ban
quet planning on site. They also host free
tours, murder mystery dinners, Run through
the Vines and Harvest Weekends.
Last Saturday kicked-off this year’s harvest,
an event Paul Bonarrigo said is a combination
of A Walk in the Clouds and “I Love Lucy.”
Guests take to the vines, cutting off grape
clusters and tossing them into plastic yellow
crates. After the harvesting is finished, guests
jump into crates filled with fresh grapes and
stomp, juice flying everywhere. Paul leads a
chorus of “inspirational stomping music.”
And participants’ escapades are hallmarked
by a grape juice footprint on the back of a sou
venir Messina Hof T-shirt.
Please see Wine on Page 4.
UFOFU lands in Aggieland to play with local favorites
By April Towery
The Battalion
L eave it to Willie Bennett and
Chris Penn to do something
different for the music
scene of Bryan-College Station.
Bennett, the talent scout for Dix
ie Theatre and 3rd Floor Cantina,
and Penn, manager of Marooned
Records, have joined forces and are
set to host the Marooned Summer
lam tonight at Dixie Theatre at 9
p.m. This is the first four-band show
at Dixie Theatre.
Bands scheduled to play are
Denton’s UFOFU; Boulder, Colo.’s
House of Large Sizes; and local
bands Kid Fantastic and Lewis.
“In my opinion, those are the
best bands in town,” Penn said of
Kid Fantastic and Lewis. “They’ve
got the best followings right now.”
Nathan McKown, bassist for
Kid Fantastic, said he is excited
about the band’s first local show
since the release of its debut al
bum, Closer To the End.
“It’ll be revamped a little bit to
take up the slack for Jason
(Schleter, guitarist, who is in Dal
las for the summer),” McKown
said. “The bass is distorted — it’s
not usually.”
Kid Fantastic will play a few
songs from the album, but McK
own said the set is mostly com
prised of new songs.
Kid Fantastic will also be play
ing a “pre-formance” show at Ma
rooned Records at 3 p.m. to pro
mote Closer To the End, which is
No. 2 in sales at Musicland.
Lewis singer and guitarist
Matt Beaton said the band mem
bers intend to play at least one
new song, and plenty from the
band’s early years.
“It’s gonna be a good chance to
get together and work on new
stuff,” Beaton said.
The show will also be an op
portunity to promote the local
music scene.
UFOFU is sure to put on an in
teresting show. The band, who
made its break opening shows for
Tripping Daisy, is known for its
young drummer, Ben Curtis, who
began playing in the band at age
15. The band has also been rec
ognized for the unabashed be-
tween-songs monologues of lead
singer and guitarist Joe Butcher,
who has been known to declare
onstage his heroine addiction
and homosexuality.
UFOFU has been touring with
House of Large Sizes, and is making
a practice stop for the show tonight.
The show will be a chance for
out-of-towners and locals to ex
perience the flavor of a Bryan-
College Station rock ’n’ roll show.
“We’re gonna try to do it old
school, with everyone out there get
ting excited and having a good time
just like it used to be,” Beaton said. “I
want everyone out there supporting
the local music scene — I’ve kinda
noticed it slipping lately.”
Tim Austin, Kid Fantastic singer
and guitarist, said the audience
has a lot to look forward to.
“They can expect an exotic trip
through an unexplored realm of
raw passion,” he said. “It’s gonna
be great.”
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UFOFU
PART-TIME POSITIONS
Universal Computer Systems, Inc. is looking for candidates for the following positions at
our College Station office. Operating hours of the facility are 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday
through Friday and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday. Candidates must be able to work at least
15 hours Monday-Friday & every other Saturday and have completed at least one
semester of college. v
Parts Inventory - Responsible for maintaining inventory of more than 2000 parts that the facility
may handle at any one time.
Data Entry - We handle computer repair for all our clients nationwide, with over 60,000 pieces of
equipment per year. Our data entry positions are responsible for maintaining info, on more than
2000 parts both shipped from and received at the facility.
Technician Trainee - Technicians will learn to use an oscilloscope and multi-meter to
trouble-shoot and repair malfunctioning hardware. Each individual will be trained thoroughly
the repair of one particular piece of equipment including CRT’s, terminals, keyboards, PC’s,
mainframes, controllers, modems, and others.
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Cleaning and Reclamation - This group must maintain upkeep of all equipment received and
shipped from the facility. Involves disassembly of equipment, cleaning and reassembly of
equipment.
To apply, please call our Personnel Headquarters. E.O.E.
Universal Computer Systems, Inc.
1 -800-883-3031
http://www.ucs-systems.com
UCS hires non-tobacco users only.
tlB
All students, faculty and staff
are invited to attend a
public meeting to hear
a briefing on the recent legislative
action that designates
the General Use Fee (GUF) as Tuition
(this briefing relates to the GUF increase approved in January 1997)
Friday, August 1, 1997
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Memorial Student Center, Room 292
Office of the President, Texas A&M University
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