Messina Hof is a family-owned winery based on three cornerstones of
FAMILY, TRADITION, & ROMANCE
At Messina Hof, we are dedicated to crafting exceptional Texas wine. Our passion is sharing these wines with others through experiences of Old-World hospitality, delicious Vineyard Cuisine, and warm customer service. We hope, through a shared love of wine, to bring people into our Family and inspire others to share our wine with their families.
Messina Hof Estate Winery
Our flagship location in Bryan/College Station opened in 1977. The Estate Winery boasts a Tasting Room, the Vintage House Restaurant, Villa Bed & Breakfast, and 20 acres of vineyard.
Messina Hof HIll Country Winery
Our second winery location opened in Fredericksburg in 2011. It offers two outdoor patios, four onsite cottages, and the largest portfolio of Texas wine on the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail.
Messina Hof Grapevine Winery
Our third location opened in Grapevine in 2014 under the concept of an urban wine bar. This location has a balcony and patio that are great for people-watching, a wine bar on each floor, and is modeled after the historic Wallis Hotel.
Messina Hof Harvest Green Winery & Kitchen
Our most recent location to open in 2021, this winery is situated just outside Houston in Richmond. Guests can enjoy a state-of-the-art tap system, a full-service restaurant, and our award-winning Texas wine portfolio. A one-acre vineyard was recently planted that will produce grapes in the coming years.
Owners
Paul Mitchell
Bonarrigo
Winemaker/Chief Executive Officer
Paul is a tried-and-true Texan. He grew up working alongside his parents, the founders of Messina Hof, in the Estate vineyard and now dedicates his time to crafting award-winning Texas wines as a seventh-generation winemaker.
In 2005, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from The United States Naval Academy and was commissioned as a United States Marine Corps Officer where he served on Active Duty. Paul served two deployments to combat zones in Iraq as an Operations Officer over Al Anbar Province for the Second Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) as well as an overseas assignment in Nigeria.
After serving, Paul returned to Messina Hof and worked as Operations Manager from 2010 to 2012 where he managed all aspects of sales and operations. He took over as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Winemaker in 2012, and since that time, Messina Hof has more than doubled in size and has expanded to four winery locations in Texas.
In 2013, he received a certificate of Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. He has earned the Level 3 Award from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). He was also awarded the title of Master Knight from the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine in recognition of his dedication to Texas wine.
Paul served on the board of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA), and he was elected in 2018 to be the President of TWGGA and Chairman of the Legislative Committee. He oversaw all aspects of marketing, sales, and legislative support of Texas wine both at the state and national level. From 2014 to 2018 he served on the Experience Bryan College Station Board of Directors, and he currently serves on the Texas Department of Agriculture Wine Advisory Council, guiding state funding and support of the Texas wine industry.
Karen
Bonarrigo
Chief Administrative officer
Karen Bonarrigo started her journey into the Texas Wine Industry after meeting her (now) husband, Paul M. Bonarrigo more than fifteen years ago. Karen grew up in Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in History from The George Washington University. After graduation, Karen worked as a litigation paralegal in North Carolina while Paul served as an Active Duty Officer in the United States Marine Corps.
The two moved back to Texas in 2010 for Paul to begin the ownership and wine program transition with his parents, Paul V. and Merrill Bonarrigo. Karen transitioned into Messina Hof Winery as the Human Resources Manager in 2010, was promoted to Director of Administration in 2012, and then became the Chief Administration Officer in 2018, the role she holds today.
She currently oversees all of the human resources, accounting, administration, and marketing responsibilities. Her personal passion, however, is the food and wine pairing and education programs. She is dedicated to steering Messina Hof toward nationally recognized culinary programs while continuing to expand her education regarding food and wine.
Karen currently serves as the Chairman of Texas Hill Country Wineries’ Marketing Committee and is a member of the Legislative Committee. Karen previously held the positions of Vice President, President, Past President, and Chairman of the Legislative Committee of Texas Hill Country Wineries from 2016 through 2019. She also served as the Region 3 Foundation Director for the Texas Wine Foundation (formerly known as the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Foundation) from 2014 through 2020, and she was Secretary/Treasurer on the Board of Experience Bryan-College Station from 2018 until 2020.
Karen was named a Master Lady of the Vine with the esteemed Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine in 2017. She also holds a Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level Three Award, and she passed the Introductory Level with The Court of Master Sommeliers in 2019.
Founders
Paul Vincent
Bonarrigo
FOUNDER
Born in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, Paul V. graduated from Columbia, served in the Navy during Vietnam, and studied winemaking at UC Davis.
He and his wife, Merrill, founded Messina Hof Winery & Resort in 1977 in Bryan, TX, helping to pioneer the wine industry of Texas. As a sixth-generation winemaker, Paul’s passion for wine stems from a family rich in winemaking traditions.
More than 40 years later, Messina Hof continues to be one of the most awarded Texas wineries in regional, national and international competitions. Under his leadership as Winemaker, Messina Hof first won Top All-Around Winery at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2004.
In 2013, he was honored with the John Crosby Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA). Paul has served as Chairman of the Texas Wine Industry Development Advisory Committee under three Agriculture Commissioners and fulfilled three terms as President of the TWGGA organization. He has also been named a Supreme Master Knight of the Vine in the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine and Vin du Professionale.
Merrill
Bonarrigo
FOUNDER
Merrill is native to Bryan/College Station. She graduated with a Business Management degree from Texas A&M University and used her knowledge to grow Messina Hof into a recognized leader in wine tourism.
She and her husband, Paul V Bonarrigo, founded Messina Hof Winery & Resort in 1977 in Bryan, TX, helping to pioneer the wine industry of Texas. Under Merrill’s management, Messina Hof became a recognized leader in wine tourism, complete with the creation of the first full-service event company centered around wine.
She also developed the first wine hospitality internship program with the Parks and Recreation Department of TAMU, founded the Brazos Valley Cattle Baron’s Ball, developed and produced a TWGGA annual wine marketing conference, and wrote Messina Hof’s first wine and food pairing cookbook.
Merrill has been honored with the Louis F. Qualia award from the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA), the Blazing Star Award, and the TAMU Women’s Former Student Legacy Award. She is also a Supreme Master Lady of the Vine in the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine.