Living in Houston and wanting to visit Texas Wine Country isn’t always easy. And when I say ‘Texas Wine Country’ I’m generally talking about the stretch of Highway 290 in the Texas Hill Country anchored by Fredericksburg on one end and Johnson City on the other. To be fair, the Texas Hill Country is huge! It encompasses 31,000 square miles and there are wineries throughout. I’m actually a big fan of the wineries that are near the Texas Highland Lakes and have recently enjoyed a great wine weekend in Dripping Springs. But the beating heart of the tourism industry is definitely in the area between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. Being in Houston, that means a four hour road trip. I know we like things bigger in Texas, but when it comes to getting around the state, that sentiment is definitely overrated. So I’m always on the lookout for something a little closer to home. And as I’ve recently discovered, Messina Hof’s estate in Bryan, Texas is about an hour and a half away and provides a great weekend escape when I need to scratch the wine country itch. Plus, there is literally always something going on there.
A Little Background
Messina Hof is owned and managed by the Bonarrigo family, who planted their first vineyard in 1977 and created the 4th winery in the State of Texas. There’s around 500 today! But even before setting up shop in Bryan, Texas, the Bonarrigo family had begun making wine in Sicily in the 1800s. In fact, the name of the winery is named after founders Paul Vincent & Merrill Bonarrigo’s family origins of Messina, Sicily and Hof, Germany. I’d always wondered what the origin of the name was and now I know!
While Paul and Merrill are still around, the day to day operations are now in the hands of Karen and Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo, who continue to expand and innovate this historic winery. In addition to the flagship winery in Bryan, Texas, Messina Hof also has locations in Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country as well as in Grapevine, which is in northern Texas outside of Dallas. Additionally, they have the Messina Hof Harvest Green Winery & Kitchen on the outskirts of Houston, which provides an urban location for wine tasting.
Enjoying a Weekend at the Estate
The grounds at the Bryan estate are quite extensive, which means it’s easy to make a weekend of your experience there. In addition to the tasting room itself, there is a bed & breakfast, full-service restaurant, as well as a great outdoor area to explore.
The Villa B&B
The Villa Bed and Breakfast features 11 suites – all different – that are furnished and pay tribute to romantic and historical icons such as Romeo & Juliet or D’Artagnan. During my visit, I stayed in Lancelot & Guinevere and Mr. Corkscrew took to calling me Guinevere all weekend. Definitely picture me rolling my eyes. Some of the rooms have balconies or patios with views of the water, so plan accordingly. The property is tended to by Ms. Jean and she is the absolute sweetest. And she also makes an amazing breakfast.
The Vintage House Restaurant
The property also houses the Vintage House Restaurant. On this most recent trip, I was there for a special dinner so didn’t go to the restaurant itself, but the restaurant’s chef prepared the meal for our dinner. And it was delicious! I was in town for the Harvest Festival Grand Finale Gala. If you’ve never been to Messina Hof’s Harvest Festival, you’re missing out. I cover it in my monthly roundup and there is no shortage of fun events to participate in. This gala raises a toast to an end of a successful Harvest Festival and typically celebrates the end of harvest at the Bryan estate. Of course, there’s much more fruit for them to harvest in the Hill Country and Texas High Plains.
At any rate, it was nice to get dressed up (cocktail attire encouraged) and enjoy a multi-course meal with wine pairings. I definitely rolled out of there quite full (the tomahawk pork chop took me over the edge!), albeit happy.
But my most memorable pairing of the night was the dish with kale, roasted Brussels sprouts and farro with house-smoked Gorgonzola, pecans, shaved red onion, and Papa Paulo Port mustard vinaigrette. It was paired with the 2022 Private Reserve Tempranillo.
First, I would have NEVER put those ingredients together in a dish. Like never! This is why I have mad respect for chefs. The dish was amazing and every component played an integral part to the dish. I generally appreciate gorgonzola in small amounts, but this smoked version worked so well here. Who knew?! And genius to pair it with the Tempranillo! Again, I would have never put these things together.
The Tasting Room & Wine Bar
In addition to having a traditional tasting room, Messina Hof also has a “wine bar.” So belly up to the tasting bar, do a seated tasting, or enjoy a glass or bottle – it’s up to you! I also liked the variety of tasting experiences available. I think there were six different options for tasting – red, white, sweet, and more. There was even an option for tasting library wines.
I also love that there are nibbles to enjoy with your wine. We went for wine and cheese (we had dinner later), and then had orderer’s remorse when the person next to me ordered hummus. There’s also dips, flatbreads and wraps that are available.
Hanging Out
The extensive grounds allow for a peaceful and relaxing experience. Hang out and watch the turtles (I’ve never seen so many turtles in one place in my life!), walk amongst the trails and vines, or grab your bottle and hang out at the gazebo or lakeside. It’s all about being in chill mode. And yeah, somehow I only got video and no photos of the turtles!
Whether you want to do a couple’s weekend or hang out with a group (there was a group of friends while we were there and they were having a ball), the Messina Hof Bryan estate is such a great option for us Houstonians who aren’t as close to the heart of wine country. Cheers to wine country being a little closer to home!
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