Paul Bonarrigo
Paul Bonarrigo is a fascinating individual who impressively balances two successful careers. He is responsible for overseeing and operating one of the fastest growing wineries in Texas, Messina Hof Winery and Resort, which hosts a winery, gift shop and tasting room, as well as The Villa, a luxurious bed and breakfast and The Vintage House restaurant. Additionally, Paul is a physical therapist and director of the Sports and Back Clinic, which he also owns. Both of his businesses are located in Bryan, Texas.

A sixth-generation winemaker, Paul's passion for wine stems from a family rich in winemaking tradition. His family has been making wines since 1800 in Messina, Sicily. As is tradition, the first born son of each Bonarrigo generation is named Paul and is the designated winemaker for that generation.

After studying wine at the University of California at Davis and then receiving his license to practice physical therapy from Columbia University, Paul came to Bryan, Texas to open the physical therapy department for St. Joseph's Hospital. He later opened the Sports and Back Clinic in 1976.

He continued his family's tradition by founding Messina Hof in 1977 with his wife, Merrill. Messina Hof has won numerous awards of excellence for its wines in regional, national and international competitions. After 28 years it continues to be one of the most awarded wineries in Texas.

Paul is currently chairman of the Texas Wine Industry Development Advisory Committee to which he was nominated by the Texas Department of Agriculture. He serves as the marketing chair for the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association after serving three terms as its president. He has been a featured speaker at the Wineries Unlimited Conference, Unified Symposium, TWGGA Conference and Southwest Food Expo among others.

Merrill Bonarrigo
Merrill Bonarrigo is co-founder of Messina Hof and founder of the Designer Events Company. Born and raised in Bryan, Texas, Merrill graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in business management and marketing. She has more than 20 years of experience in sales merchandising and special events planning.

Merrill has worked in all areas of the wine business from viticulture to the winemaking process, and from sales/marketing to consumer/trade education. She and her husband Paul take great pride in educating the public about wine. Their educational leadership includes instructional food and wine pairing seminars, and hosting semi-annual cooking classes featuring Texas' top chefs.

As a lecturer at the Hilton's School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Merrill taught Retail Wine Marketing. She has developed consumer-friendly programs for food and wine pairing, and wine selection. She is an accomplished author with two editions of a unique cookbook organized by wine varietal, "The Ultimate Wine and Food Pairing Cookbook" and her new book "Vineyard Cuisine, Meals and Memories at Messina Hof." She is a contributor to four other cookbooks and several magazines.

Merrill continues to be active in the community of Bryan/College Station, Texas. She sat on the Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors, Texas A&M Agriculture Council, East Texas Tourism Association, and Bryan/College Station Tourism Advisory Council.