Harvesting Success

Messina Hof co-founder forges new ground at A&M and in Texas wine industry

By LARA ZUEHLKE

Mays alumna Merrill (Mitchell) Bonarrigo '75 is no stranger to change. From being among the first women admitted to Texas A&M to turning an experimental grape crop into a full-scale winery known as Messina Hof, Bonarrigo's philosophy of pursuing her dreams with resilience has produced undeniable success.

Born and raised in Bryan, Bonarrigo understood the longstanding spirit and tradition of Texas A&M being an all-male military school. Although the university began admitting women on a limited basis in 1963, it wasn't until 1971 when the first class of women was admitted. And, true to her childhood word, Bonarrigo was one of them.

"I was raised in the eye of Aggie Spirit and knew all my life that I wanted to be a part of that spirit," Bonarrigo said. "My parents, Charles and Georgia Mitchell, told me all my life that I could do anything I set my mind to and that A&M would accept girls someday. I never had a doubt that A&M was where I would go to college."

Bonarrigo's interest in marketing and management led her to the College of Business, which had become its own entity only three years prior. Today, Bonarrigo attributes her entrepreneurial know-how to the college, giving her a foundation upon which to draw. In fact, she still turns to many of her old textbooks used in her business classes as references. "As an owner of a small business, I am involved in every aspect of the business, so I utilize the lessons I learned in all of my classes," she said. "Some of my instructors gave me knowledge; some helped with the application of that knowledge; and others gave me insight on how to successfully lead and work with diverse groups of people."

Unlike the nearly 52 percent (as per the A&M Institute of Studies and Planning, Fall 2000) of female undergraduate students in the Mays College today, Bonarrigo noted that she was often the only, or one of several, female(s) in her business classes. "It was interesting because our classes were small, so we had the opportunity to bring different viewpoints to class and share our different viewpoints in class," she said. "I really like to look at the girls as being pioneers because that's what we were. We were charting new territory and were part of creating a new society at A&M."

During her undergraduate years, Bonarrigo also seized the opportunity to become involved in student life. She was one of the first females elected as an officer to the Student Senate and was a charter member of the Diamond Darlings, which supports Aggie baseball. Yet, her time on campus did not go without objection.

"It was a time of great change for A&M, and there were some who were pleased women were there. And, there were some that preferred the Old Army way of things and didn't want us on campus," Bonarrigo said. "As females, we had the unique opportunity to begin molding A&M as the coed university it is today. Most of us were close friends and worked together to bring about a positive influence on campus."

A True Pioneer

Upon graduating in 1975, Bonarrigo entered the local real estate scene until she met her husband, Paul Bonarrigo, a physical therapist in Bryan. That meeting would not only result in more than 20 years of marriage and a son, but also the opening of one of Texas' most successful wineries, Messina Hof Wine Cellars.

"Paul had an interest in grape growing because of his family's background," Bonarrigo explained. "In his family they have a tradition that the first born male of each generation is named Paul and is the winemaker for his generation. So, he was raised with winemaking in his blood."

Although the Bonarrigo heritage of winemaking dates back more than 200 years to Messina, Sicily, Paul opted to go into physical therapy, opening a clinic in Bryan in 1974. As fate would have it, however, one of Paul's patients, Ron Perry, was a graduate student at A&M and doing his dissertation on grape feasibility in Texas. Perry encouraged the Bonarrigos to plant a vineyard, convinced grapes would grow well in the state. With the help of the Texas A&M Department of Horticulture, in 1977 the Bonarrigos planted an experimental crop of 35 grape varieties and found that several types thrived in the central Texas soil and climate.

Several years later, however, the husband and wife team found themselves at a crossroad: continue growing grapes as an experimental, agricultural project or delve fully into winemaking. After all, Paul still had his physical therapy clinic, so the majority of the planning and labor would be up to Merrill — not to mention that they were forging into a fledgling wine industry. At the time, Texas was 42nd in wine production in the United States, which really equated to last, as there were only 42 wine-producing states.

Regardless of the challenges of starting their own business, the Bonarrigos decided to see where the wine industry would take them, a decision Merrill Bonarrigo says she's never regretted. "I felt like a pioneer at A&M, being one of the first women admitted, and I felt like we had the opportunity to really be pioneers in the winemaking industry at that time in the state of Texas," she said. "Winemaking wasn't a new industry then, but it was the reintroduction of a very old industry. It was an exciting, new adventure."

Entering Messina Hof's beautiful grounds today, one would never suspect the winery began in a mobile home full of converted dairy tanks. It produced 1,300 gallons of wine during its first year in 1983 and sold the wine in a retail sales room at the vineyard. With interest and sales growing, the Bonarrigos increased production and began distributing the wine in the Bryan/College Station area and later tapped into the state's metropolitan markets — Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

Messina Hof became a full-fledged winery in 1986 when the first, real wine tanks were shipped from California. "At that point, I really began envisioning a destination where people could come and experience the Texas wine industry," said Bonarrigo. "I wanted to create the Napa Valley of Texas, a place where people could stay over night and be pampered, taste our wine and eat food that we designed to complement the wine. Our vision has always been to explore every opportunity, which has allowed us to continually develop and expand."

Endless Possibilities

Over the years, the Bonarrigos' vision has become a reality, as Messina Hof now offers vineyard tours and wine tasting, wine-based "vineyard cuisine" in the Vintage House Restaurant, and overnight lodging in The Villa, a luxury 10-room bed and breakfast adorned in antiques from the 1600s. Today, Messina Hof employs 60 people and produces more than 200,000 gallons of wine from its 40-acre vineyard in Bryan and approximately 500 acres in the High Plains region of Texas. In addition to its devout consumers, Messina Hof receives a great deal of exposure by consistently winning awards at national and international competitions, Bonarrigo said.

Aside from producing wine and playing host to guests, Bonarrigo has become an expert in wine and food pairing, lecturing on the A&M campus and at the University of Houston Hilton School of Hotel & Restaurant Management. She has also authored a cookbook for wine lovers, "The Ultimate Wine and Food Pairing Cookbook." Bonarrigo created Designer Events, a special event planning company, and oversees Messina Hof's numerous public events, such as the Murder Mystery Dinner, Marriage of the Port Celebration, Wine and Roses Festival and other events. Realizing the importance of giving back to the local community, Bonarrigo also works with various organizations and programs within the Bryan/College Station community, as well as educates younger generations of Aggies about the wine industry by speaking on campus and sponsoring an internship program.

The basis of her success, Bonarrigo says, has been to maximize every opportunity and believe that anything is possible. "You have to know that nothing is impossible if you have a dream, but the key is having faith and the willingness to work hard," she said. "I learned at A&M that I had to look beyond those who said it could not be done and rely on what I believed could be done. College challenges you on every level — physically, mentally and spiritually. My experience at A&M strengthened me in these areas, and I am thankful for the preparation I received." @