The Battalion
i esday • June 16,1998
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here's more to this vine-
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By Natalie Cobb
Staff Writer
Nestled off Highway 21 on
Old Reliance Road is one of
Bryan's most prized tourist
stops — the Messina Hof win
ery This year marks Messina
Hof's 21st year, and the winery
ife celebrating in a big way.
I Over the last few years,
Messina Hof has made quite a
n.ime for itself around the na-
t on. The 40-acre winery has
racked up twice as many awards
as any other Texas wineries in its
IfWo decades. In the 1998 Dallas
■Morning News International
■Vine Competition, Messina Hof
ran away with the most awards
|rom among all of the Texas
ineries.
Wines are not all Messina Hof
as to offer, however. Visitors
ray also enjoy The Vintage
louse, the winery's on-site
lestaurant. Although the aes-
|hetics of choosing a wine for
inner may intimidate even the
nost cultured culinary enthusi-
ist, restaurant owner Merrill
Bonariggo said beauty is often in
he eye of the beholder.
"The best wine in the world is
he one you prefer, and the best
ood with which to serve your
avorite wine is primarily a mat
er of choice," Bonariggo said.
The Vintage House features a
enu full of European cuisine
paired with a romantic atmos
phere overlooking the vine
yards. Restaurant hours include
lunch Wednesday through Sat
urday 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., with
dinner Thursday through Satur
day from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
For those who enjoy dinner
so much that they would like to
hang around and spend the
night, the Messina Hof Bed and
Breakfast is available by reser
vation and can make anyone feel
they are on vacation in the
French countryside.
Public relations director
Cindy Schellenberg said the ebb
and flow of Aggie events keep
the bed and breakfast's waters
stirred throughout the year.
"You can bet the bed and
breakfast will be full when Ag
gie football season starts," Schel
lenberg said. "We pretty much
plan our weekends during the
school year around Aggie foot
ball, Parent's Weekend and oth
er Aggie traditions."
Although the winery is busy
during the school year with
school events, the busiest time of
the year is in the summer. July
brings on the harvest of grapes
at Messina Hof, and anyone can
pick and stomp grapes until
their heart is content. The har
vest begins on July 25th. After
stomping, grape pickers can
move inside for a Wine and
Food Pairing Seminar presented
by Merrill Bonariggo.
If students need a break from
traditional classes and want to
take a class in something fun,
then Messina Hof might be the
place to enroll. Cooking tips fre
quently are given through the
many food and cooking classes
presented during the summer.
August 1st promises to be a
day filled with culinary delight
as Matt Martinez, owner of
"Matt's No Place" in Dallas,
teaches students the fine art of
Jake Schrickling/77ie Battalion
Aaron Gill, a junior anthropology major and assistant retail manag
er for Messina Hof, salutes Don Kidwell, a physics graduate student
and Melissa Scheier, a political science graduate student.
creating tantalizing dishes.
"We love to have students
out to our cooking classes and
to the restaurant," Schellenberg
said. "We specialize in fantastic
food and fantastic service. Ag
gies are always welcome."
Messina Hof visitors can
even cook up some mystery
during the "Mafia Murder Mys
tery" dinner or the "Who Killed
the Winemaker Murder Mys
tery" dinner.
Guests dine on gourmet
meals at these events and try to
figure out the mystery. "Mafia
Murder Mystery" will be held
on July 17 and the "Winemaker
Murder Mystery" will be held
on August 8.
When Father's Day rears its
head, forget the standard tie
and bring dad out to Messina
Hof for the Father's Day Ex
travaganza. The fun kicks off on
the evening of June 19 with a
five course gourmet dinner
where families can sample the
winning wines from the Dallas
kWi
II
results oF the A
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Morning News competition. On
Saturday, fathers can gain the
techniques of the master chefs
through a cooking school.
During the cooking class
they learn how to utilize fresh
vegetables in meals and then
how to compost the left-over
material.
In addition to all of these ac
tivities, Messina Hof offers
something for everyday.
Come cool off during those
hot summer days in Messina
Hof's wine tasting room, take a
tour of the winery or relax with
a glass of your favorite Messina
Hof wine. Tours and wine tast
ings at the winery are available
weekdays and weekends.
Whether you want to ex
plore the world of Texas wine,
dine or simply relax, Messina
Hof has something for every
one.
"We are not a great Texas
winery," owner Paul Bonariggo
said. "We are a great world
class winery."
Dirty Work sinks
Hope Floats
Starring Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr.
Playing at Hollywood 16 and College Park 6
One of the best flicks of the summer, Hope Floats, is an excellent film
about love, deception by loved ones and getting through tough times. La
beled a chick flick by most men, this film can appeal to everyone, includ
ing guys. Birdie, played by Bullock, is a small-town beauty, whose husband
cheats on her with her best friend and reveals it on a trashy talk show. Birdie
returns to Texas to start a new life with her daughter. The daughter, Ber
nice, adds a fun and playful twist to the film and is a great addition to light
en up some of the heavier parts of the film.
There were a few stereotypical scenes of Texas portraying most of the
women in cowboy hats while out on the town, but this can be overlooked
by Bullock’s acting talents and Connick’s good looks. This story is an ex
cellent love story that has something everyone can appreciate. “Hope
Floats” is an enjoyable, light-hearted movie and is a summer must see. (A)
— Natalie Cobb
Dirty Work
Starring Norm MacDonald, Artie Lange, and Jack Warden
Playing at Hollywood Cinema 16
Former Saturday Night Live actor Norm MacDonald plays Mitch
Weaver, a down-on-his-luck kind of guy. Artie Lange plays his best friend,
Sam, who also, as it is oh-so-tastefully explained in the opening minutes
of the film, happens to Mitch’s brother.
Their father (Jack Warden) is in in need of a heart transplant, but be
cause of his age, chances of receiving a heart are practically zero, unless
Mitch and Sam come up with $50,000 to bribe the heart surgeon (Chevy
Chase in a pitifully unfunny role). In order to get the money, Mitch and
Sam open up a revenge-for-hire business, and audiences watch as they do
other people’s dirty work.
see Movies on page 4.
«.9l»
Justin (Harry
Connick Jr.)
and Birdie
(Sandra
Bullock)
smarm it up
Texas-style in
this sum
mer’s most
recent dose
of romantic
match-mak
ing celluloid,
Hope Floats.
om
eec
Y
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