Stoked for Oaked!

Oak barrels have been used to store and age wine for thousands of years. Messina Hof has 800 barrels on the property; the largest number of barrels in Texas!

Oak barrel aging is an important step in the red wine making process not only because most wines need to age before being released, but because the wood imparts certain characteristics to a wine. When a wine is barrel aged, subtle flavors are imparted on the wine, resulting in greater complexity and softening of the strong tannins and flavors that are prevalent at the end of fermentation.

Messina Hof uses medium-plus toasting to bring out vanilla and cherry flavors from the wood. Our American oak barrels are harvested from Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. Our French oak Barrels are from Seguin, Moreau, and the heart of France.

Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo incorporated a red-colored rim on the barrels to add a unique and beautiful decorative note to Messina Hof’s barrels.

At Messina Hof we use our barrels for three uses, averaging two years each time. Our Paulo and Private Reserve wines use new barrels. After this first use the barrels are used to make Messina Hof Barrel Reserve wines. At the end of their six years of use, we sell the barrels to our customers. They use them for decoration, water barrels, and nostalgic memories of Messina Hof Winery.