Messina Hof opens urban Grapevine winery

Messina Hof, one of the most awarded wineries in Texas, is opening to the public in Historic Downtown Grapevine on Friday., a venture designed to capitalize on the city’s recognition as “an urban wine destination.”

Chief Executive Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo said they chose Grapevine because the city is known for its devotion to wine, seen everywhere from its grapes logo to its annual GrapeFest, the largest wine festival in the Southwest.

“It’s a good area home base for a winery,” Bonarrigo said.

Although they have two businesses in the Hill Country, the chief executive said they wanted “a location in Grapevine where people can come in an connect with us.”

He said they serve a diverse collection of wines “depending where they are in their wine journey — from wines that are not intimidating to wines that are serious.”

“Consumers can try a wine and grow in their own portfolio,” the chief executive said.

Bonarrigo said Messina Hof Grapevine Winery is “thinking outside the bottle” by serving wine on tap its first new urban winery, located at 201 S. Main St., in the reconstructed Wallis Hotel.

“There’s no loss of quality and this guarantees that the every glass poured is the same freshness and quality,” he said in a phone interview from his Hill Country home. “Wine on tap provides a better product and cost savings at all levels for the manufacturer, retailer and consumer.”

A bonus, he said, is that the effort will keep approximately 6,500 empty bottles out of landfills annually.

“Subtract the need for corks, foils and printed labels — you’ve got red and white going green,” said Bonarrigo, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the University of California at Davis winemaking program.

Established in Texas in 1977, the winemaking heritage of the Bonarrigo family dates back six generations to Messina, Sicily.

The Texas dynasty was originally founded by Paul Vincent and Merrill Bonarrigo, who live in Bryan but are well-known visitors to the Grapevine area, especially for festivals such as GrapeFest.

The family venture includes Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo’s wife Karen and their children Sophia and Paul Anthony.

The Messina Hof Winery & Resort in Bryan, the Messina Hof Hill Country Winery and Manor Haus in Fredericksburg and Messina Hof Grapevine Winery “are dedicated to producing premier, award-winning wines and offering tourism destinations based on tradition, romance and family,” Bonarrigo said.

A rich history

When Messina Hof began in 1977,there were only three wineries in Texas, Bonarrigo said. He said there are more than 300 wineries in Texas today, and the state is the fifth-largest wine producer in the United States — with Messina Hof controlling close to 900 acres in Texas.

Messina Hof has won more than 1,500 awards, he said, including 74 at GrapeFest’s People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic and “Best of Herd Texas Winery” for the 2015 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

The winery features 2,000 gallons of wine production space; wine bar with nine wines on tap and light and gourmet food options; a window into the production area.

It also has event space for up to 200 people upstairs for private parties, showers, weddings, receptions, meetings, corporate events, classes, fundraisers, auctions, photo shoots, art displays and musical performances.

Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Wallis Hotel

The Wallis Hotel was originally located on the corner of Hudgins and Main streets near the Cotton Belt Railroad Station. Built in 1891, the “Brick Hotel” attracted traveling salesmen arriving at the train station.

Local businessman John Wallis, his sister Susan Wallis Terrill and her family operated the hotel until it closed in 1926. The building was torn down in the late 1930s.

A replica of the building opened in 1992 at its current location, originally housing the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau offices and now Messina Hof Grapevine.

Wine on Tap

Wine on tap is now a social and cultural phenomenon for distribution of wine. Instead of distributing via the bottle, wine is housed in hermetically sealed, high-grade, rust resistant and stainless steel kegs.

After the barreling stage, the wine is transferred into the kegs holding about 26 bottles of wine each (or 130 glasses). It is pushed through the keg by gases such as nitrogen or argon, further providing a blanket over the wine and protecting it from oxidation.

“There’s no loss of quality by storing in kegs and it guarantees that the every glass poured is the same freshness and quality,” Bonarrigo said. “Wine on tap provides a better product and cost savings at all levels for the manufacturer, retailer and consumer.”

Keg filling versus bottling is a more gentle process, virtually eliminating bottle shock.

Dedicated refrigeration for white and red wine insures the correct serving temperature.

Traditionally, wine retailers have served wine by the glass by opening and resealing individual bottles,” Bonarrigo said. “With wine on tap, bottle, cork and carton costs are eliminated.”

This story was originally published December 9, 2014 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Messina Hof opens urban Grapevine winery."