The Messina Hof Story chronicles two great love affairs: the story of husband and wife Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo and their lifelong passion for Texas wine-making and its development as an industry. It all started when a first-generation Italian guy from the Bronx, New York, met a gal from Bryan College Station — two people from opposite parts of the country who ultimately landed in the Brazos Valley and created a legacy through their winery Messina Hof.
The couple met in an unlikely way after Paul’s divorce. He needed to sell his house, and who better to call than Merrill, a real estate agent whom he vaguely knew through a previous interaction. Merrill warned him that his house might not sell if potential buyers were scared off by his boxer Sonny, which indeed did happen at her first showing. Soon after, he and Merrill had their first date, which led to marriage in 1977. Shortly thereafter, chronicled in the section labeled in the book as “The Pet Rock Era,” Paul met a Texas A&M University Ph.D student who was compiling research on Texas grape feasibility. To help with his research, the couple decided to take a gamble and planted 14 different grape varieties at their Bryan home.
Out of these grapevines came their winery. “We named our little piece of earth Messina Hof in honor of the lands of our ancestors in Sicily and Germany,” Paul Benarrigo says on pages 23–24 of the memoir.
When they were getting started, the Texas wine industry was still in its infancy. In large part because of the Bonarrigos efforts, Texas has now become the fifth largest grape-producing state. For their dedication, the Bonarrigos received a lifetime achievement award from the Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association.
Throughout Messina Hof’s history, its wines have placed in numerous regional, national, and international competitions, many of which are detailed within the book. Additionally, the winery itself has been host to diplomats, dignitaries, and celebrities: It was a secondary location for President George H.W. Bush, his cabinet, and close friends when he visited College Station. Wine scenes for “The Evening Star”, the sequel to the Academy Award-winning movie, “Terms of Endearment,” starring Shirley MacLaine, were also shot at the winery.
The Bonarrigos vowed to keep family first, which Paul believes is an important part of their personal and professional success. Throughout the book are delightful photos that give readers a glimpse into their family life throughout the years. Eventually, the business was passed on to their son Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo and his wife Karen, while Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo continue to educate on wine tourism and hospitality, and introduce Texas wines throughout the world. In the book's epilogue, Paul Bonarrigo summarizes the book’s contents in a single sentence: “Satisfaction comes from looking back and seeing all the good things that we have been able to do for our family, Messina Hof, and the Texas wine industry.”
