Paul Bonarrigo
Paul Bonarrigo is a fascinating individual who came to Bryan, Texas to open the St. Joseph Hospital Physical Therapy department in 1971.  He then opened his Sports and Back Clinic in 1976 as well as the Messina Hof Winery and Resort with his wife, Merrill, in 1977.                                                                                                          

As the owner and winemaker of Messina Hof Winery and Resort, he is responsible for overseeing and operating one of the fastest growing wineries in Texas, which hosts a winery, gift shop and tasting room, wine bar, as well as The Villa, a luxurious bed and breakfast and The Vintage House restaurant.   He is the most awarded winemaker in Texas and produces more different wines than most other wineries in the world.   He is responsible for such wine industry innovations as Thermoflash fermentation of Pinot Noir and production of Port without the addition of Brandy. 

Messina Hof released its first vintage in 1983, however the rich wine heritage of Winemaker Paul Bonarrigo dates back seven generations to Messina, Sicily.  Paul is the sixth generation winemaker and their son, Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo, will be the seventh generation winemaker in the family history and the second generation winemaker in Texas. The Bonarrigo family is pioneering the Texas Wine Industry in creating premium wines of distinction and a landmark wine country destination.           

Affiliations
Chairman of the Texas Wine Industry Development Advisory Committee
Marketing chair for the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association
Featured speaker at the Wineries Unlimited Conference, Unified Symposium, TWGGA Conference and Southwest Food Expo
Received the Small Business Person of the Year Award and the Louis Qualia Award
3 time president of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association
Has participated on the boards of TWGGA, BISD,  Texas Agriculture Advisory Council
Guest lecturer at the University of Houston Hilton School
Doctor of Divinity
Record holder of 4 consecutive years as winner of the Top Texas Wine award at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Merrill Bonarrigo
Merrill Bonarrigo is a mother, wife and co-founder of Messina Hof Winery and Resort and founder of the Designer Events Company.  In 1977, Merrill and her husband Paul began building Messina Hof which was named after their respective ancestral homelands. Paul's family is from Messina, Sicily, and Merrill's family is from Hof, Germany.  Born and raised in Bryan, Texas, Merrill graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in business management and marketing. She has more than 30 years of experience in the wine business and special events planning.

As a lecturer at the Hilton's School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Merrill taught Retail Wine Marketing. She has developed consumer-friendly programs for food and wine pairing, and wine selection. She is an accomplished author with two cookbooks that are organized by wine variety, "The Ultimate Wine and Food Pairing Cookbook."  Her latest book, Vineyard Cuisine, chronicles 30 years of wine and food in the Texas wine industry.  She is a contributor to four other cookbooks and several magazines.

Honors include Woman to Watch in the Brazos Valley, Outstanding Business Person, Luis Qualia Award for contributions to the Texas Wine Industry, and Supreme Master Lady of the Knights of the Vine.  She has served on the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors, Texas A&M Agriculture Council, East Texas Tourism Association, Bryan/College Station Tourism Advisory Council, Board's of Keep Brazos Beautiful and Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival, Founder of Cattle Baron's Ball for Bryan-College Station, and today she is active in the mentorship program for Aggie women and developing a culinary tourism program for the Brazos Valley.