Q&A with Paul Bonarrigo, CEO/Winemaker, Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Bryan.
What is the Messina Hof story?
For five generations my father Paul’s family made wine just outside Messina, Sicily, while my mother Merrill’s family is from Hof, Germany. Together, they founded the winery in 1977. As the seventh-generation Paul Bonarrigo, I grew up learning all aspects of production, sales and administration. After attending the U.S. Naval Academy and serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, I transitioned to the winery along with my wife Karen. In 2012, I became CEO, while she took over as director of administration.
What group venues and programs do you offer?
Each of our three winery locations offers a tasting room, multiple event spaces, full-service event planning support and customized corporate and social programs, including wine education, blending labs and barrel tastings. Unique features of our Four Diamond estate winery in Bryan include an 11-room villa-style B&B, plus a restaurant and wine bar. Our Fredericksburg location in Hill Country has four unique B&B cottages, while our urban winery on Grapevine’s main street has a bar with nine wines on tap.
How would you characterize the Texas wine market overall?
From just three wineries in 1977, Texas today has more than 350 and counting. Rated among the world’s Top 10 wine destinations by Wine Enthusiast and the No. 2 wine tourism location in the U.S., Texas is gaining global recognition for its high quality wines, including Messina Hof, the most awarded winery in the state.
