The wineries along the Bluebonnet Wine Trail are a group of family owned and operated wineries offering unique wines and wine tasting experiences. Throughout the year, each winery offers numerous activities and events including wine tastings, grape crushing, mystery dinners, music concerts, wine pairing dinners, vineyard tours, grape stomp, and much more. You can visit each winery’s web site for detailed information regarding their specific activities and hours.
Wine & Chocolate Trail
The Wine and Chocolate Trail will feature wine and chocolates at each winery, February 6-7 and 13-14, 2010.
Click the button above to purchase your tickets online. Just print your receipt at the time of purchase and use your receipt as your single ticket or ticket-for-two.
The Wine & Chocolate Trail is a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine's Day. For four days on the first two weekends in February 2010, your trail ticket allows you to sample two wine pairings and two chocolate pairings at each participating winery along The Bluebonnet Wine Trail. All of the wineries along the trail remind you to drink responsibly and designate a driver.
The wine and chocolate pairings are shown below:
Bernhardt Winery:The first pairing is a one ounce pour of Crimson, a soft, red, full-bodied wine with a rich, warm smoky oak finish paired with an imported dark European chocolate. The second pairing is a one ounce pour of their award-winning, velvety smooth Port Reserve along with an exquisite Port filled chocolate praline.
Colony Cellars: Their tasting experience is different from most in that they offer a course of twelve wines. As such, a duet fondue dish with both dark and light dipping chocolate and butter cookies will be paired with all twelve wines.
Cork This! Winery:Seven – Tawny Port paired with Quintessential liquid center chocolates and Heaven – White Chocolate Port paired with chocolate truffles.
Messina Hof Winery & Resort:Gooey Milk Chocolate Brownie paired with Barrel Reserve Port and Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart paired with Private Reserve Merlot
Pleasant Hill Winery:Offering two port wines, Rosso Forte and Tawny Rosso Fort, will be perfectly paired with Port Truffles and Caramel Walnut Chews by Chocolate Harmony - Chocolatier: Heidemarie Vukovic.
Retreat Hill Winery & Vineyard:Enjoy our hand-crafted chocolate truffle infused with Lehm Berg Harvest Sherry, paired with the Lehm Berg Sherry and our hand-crafted chocolate truffle infused with Retreat Hill Syrah, paired with our newly released Retreat Hill Syrah.
Holiday Wine Trail Get a jump start on your holiday gift giving by touring the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail, Holiday Trail on December 5-6, 2009 and December 12-13, 2009. You have four days on two consecutive weekends to use your ticket. Purchase a single trail ticket or a ticket-for-two and for each ticket, you can each enjoy a glass of specially-selected wine, paired with a terrific holiday food sample at each winery on the trail. As an added bonus, have your ticket stamped at four participating trail wineries and receive the first commemorative holiday keepsake crystal wine glass. These 24-ounce Pinot Noir glasses feature the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail logo. This holiday trail package, worth almost $70 per person, is yours for the low single ticket price of $30 or ticket-for-two price of $45, plus tax.
Bernhardt Winery:
Colony Cellars: Sausage Kolache with Smooth Texas Red
Cork This! Winery: Cold boiled shrimp, with cream cheese and peach jelly, paired with 2009 Blonde, a December release Sauvignon Blanc.
Messina Hof Winery & Resort: Gewurztraminer Raspberry Chipotle Cream Cheese Ball served with crackers & paired with Merrill's Vineyard Riesling
Pleasant Hill Winery: Ceviche, paired with 2008 Sauvignon Blanc.
Retreat Hill Winery & Vineyard: Slow-smoked pork tenderloin, rubbed with Sandy Oaks Orchards Extra Virgin Arbequina & Arbosana Olive Oil, Spiceburst Gourmet Garlic Saltburst and rosemary, paired with 2009 Retreat Hill Blazin' Blush, a Texas White Zinfandel.
Windy Winery: Italian, Mexican and Christmas Wine Cookies, paired with Independence, a Pinot Noir/Merlot blend.
Fall Grape Crush Trail August thru October, the wine makers are busy crushing grapes
and making the new wines. The pressure is on because as Paul
Bonarrigo of Messina Hof states “you are only as good as your
last vintage.” This is a great time to get out and visit the wineries
and see firsthand the real operations. Visit 7 of the 8 wineries
along the trail between September 1 and October 15 and qualify
for one of three grand prizes and numerous other prizes offered
by each of the wineries. The grand prize includes a pair of tickets
to the Fall Harvest Celebration, an overnight stay at the “Loft Above the Winery” at Bernhardt Winery, and a “Trough of Texas
Wines & Goodies” collected from each of the wineries along the
trail.
Fall Harvest Celebration In the fall, the winemakers again will gather for their 2nd vintner’s dinner celebrating the end of the grape harvest. This is a very special time for winemakers as their past year’s harvest is bottled and the casks are filled with new wine. The wine makers again will share a special wine during dinner as well as samplings of their new wines during a “meet and greet time” prior to dinner. The dinner will be hosted by Messina Hof Winery in Bryan. This night includes a special tour through the magnificent barrel room at the Messina Hof Winery guided by owners, Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo.
Please check the wine trail's web site or Messina Hof's web site late summer for the date and to make reservations.
Texas Wine Month Trail The Texas Department of Agriculture has designated October as, “Texas Wine Month.” To celebrate, each of the wineries along the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail will offer something unique to wine trail ticket holders. Tickets for the wine trail are on sale at any of your favorite wineries. With a retail value of over $65.00, this is a deal you can’t beat. With tickets priced at $15.00 each or two for $25.00, here is what you get!
Bernhardt Winery 4 oz pour & concert ticket on Oct. 4th or 11th
Colony Cellars Wine Smoothie & Tour ticket
Cork This! 4 oz pour & Keepsake Glass
Messina Hof Winery & Resort Two 4 oz pours in The Wine Bar
Pleasant Hill Winery 4 tastes (Tasting of the Day)
Retreat Hill Winery & Vineyard BBQ Plate & concert ticket on Oct. 3rd or 10th
Windy Winery 4 oz pour & keepsake glass
Come check out the Southeast Texas wineries. Take a tour around the wineries or just come to have a glass of wine. They all have something different to offer so there’s an experience for everyone to enjoy.
Texas Wine Month is a great time to come visit, along with our upcoming Holiday Wine Trail Paired with Holiday Foods in December. Don’t miss these exciting occasions!
The Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail offers two Vintners Dinners throughout the course of the year — one in the fall and another in the spring — and they are detailed down the left side of the page. Each winery has its own events, respectively, which are listed by the month below. This is a general listing, so please visit the individual winery sites for more detailed information.
March 2010
Spring Bluebonnet Trail - Tickets Available starting NOW!
This is the namesake Spring event along the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail. For the first three weekends in April 2010, the wineries along the trail will offer a select pairing of two wines and two specially crafted cheese dishes prepared with Texas cheeses from the area along the trail. As an added bonus, receive a packet of Texas Wildflower seeds at each winery you visit while supplies last. The Bluebonnets will be in full bloom, so this is the perfect opportunity to see beautiful Texas wildflowers, enjoy fine Texas wine and fantastic cheese pairings. This event will be posted for the first three consecutive weekends in April. Your trail tickets are good on any of the dates, April 3-4, April 10-11 or April 17-18, 2010, regardless of when you purchase them. Wine and Cheese pairings are coming soon!
Pleasant Hill Winery WineDowns
begin Friday, March 5 with Jack Carr entertaining us with his saxophone from
6:00 - 8:00 PM. WineDown on the Deck and Watch the Sun Set every Friday in March.
Starts @ 3:00 - last call @ sunset. Enjoy wine by the glass or share a bottle with friends.
Cheeseboards will be available. Gift Shop will be open. No RSVP. No admission fee.
Sunday, March 7 - Winemaker's Birthday Bash
Like a fine red wine, Winemaker Paul Bonarrigo only gets better with age. Join the birthday boy himself, co-founder of Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Paul Bonarrigo, for a day filled with fun, gourmet food, and fine Messina Hof wines.
2:00 - 4:00 pm - VIP Reception
The party begins with the VIP Reception. Messina Hof VIPs, along with their guests, are invited to cruise the estate with Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo.
To RSVP, call 979-778-9463 ext. 230 or e-mail Brittany Hanagriff at hanagriff@messinahof.com.
4:30 p.m. - Birthday Bash Vintner Dinner
The Bonarrigo family would like to invite you to indulge in a four course Vintner Dinner that will be paired with award winning Messina Hof wines. Come celebrate Pauls birthday with us!
Menu:
Station One Italian Wedding Soup & German Split Pea Soup with Sausage
Station Two Bluebonnet Bib Salad with lump crab meat drizzled with a port glaze
Station Three Nolan Ryan Prime Tenderloin served with fingerling potatoes and baby carrots
Station Four Selection of small desserts and petit fours
Each station will be perfectly paired with fine Messina Hof wines.
The cost is $49.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For more information or reservations, call 800-736-9463 ext 234.
Thursday, March 18 - Cajun
Feast Cooking Party with the Chef
Messina Hof, the fastest-growing award winning winery and
resort in Texas, will spice things up while awakening your taste buds for
some southern hospitality when the vineyard hosts a Cajun Feast themed
Cooking Party with the Chef on at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 18, 2010.
The Cajun Feast" cooking party will feature an array of
Cajun dishes expertly paired with award-winning Messina Hof wines.
Attendees will prepare a spicy southern masterpiece, while learning secrets
from Messina Hofs culinary masterminds.
Menu
Appetizer
Cajun Blackened Shrimp on a
roasted bell pepper polenta cake
Messina Hof Paired with Beau
Salad
Marinated Crab Salad on a bib
lettuce
Paired with MessinaHof Un-Oaked
Chardonnay
Entre
Jambalaya
Paired with MessinaHofMuscat
Canelli
Dessert
Gateau Du Sirop (Syrup Cake)
Paired with Messina Hof Solera Sherry
Novice cooks and expert chefs alike will learn an array of
useful tips, tricks, recipes and techniques sure to come in handy for any
occasion. All guests will receive a tote bag filled with seasonal goodies and a
recipe booklet. Additionally, guests may register to win door prizes that will
prove to be useful in the kitchen.
The cost is $69.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For
more information visit www.messinahof.com. To make a reservation, call Messina Hof Winery & Resort
at 800-736-9463, ext. 234.
Sunday, March 28 - Wine Appreciation Class: "Wines of Burgundy"
Join Messina Hof Winery & Resort for its monthly Wine Appreciation Class at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 28 to learn about the Burgundy region. A funny thing happened to the name of this region (and its sub region Chablis) in the United States. It was used to mean generic jug wines, and many people still associate the name with low quality wines. Burgundy consists of five distinct regions and two noble grapes, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Wine Appreciation Classes are designed to help you decipher the wonderful world of wine. Our topics change every month so no two classes are the same. Every class is taught so that everyone from the beginner to the connoisseur can follow along. Classes last an hour & a half and include light cheeses. We suggest making lunch reservations at our Vintage House Restaurant prior to the class, as most classes include tasting five-to-eight wines. The cost is $19.99 per person.
Call (979) 778-9463 ext. 234 to register. For information, visit www.messinahof.com.
April 2010
Spring Bluebonnet Trail: Tickets Available ONLINE ONLY.
This is the namesake Spring event along the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail. For the first three weekends in April 2010, the wineries along the trail will offer a select pairing of two wines and two specially crafted cheese dishes prepared with Texas cheeses from the area along the trail. As an added bonus, receive a packet of Texas Wildflower seeds at each winery you visit while supplies last. The Bluebonnets will be in full bloom, so this is the perfect opportunity to see beautiful Texas wildflowers, enjoy fine Texas wine and fantastic cheese pairings. This event will be posted for the first three consecutive weekends in April. Your trail tickets are good on any of the dates, April 3-4, April 10-11 or April 17-18, 2010, regardless of when you purchase them. Wine and Cheese pairings are coming soon!
April 11-18: Caribbean Wine Cruise with Messina Hof Winery
Experience the best Texas has to offer as guests cruise with Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo from the award-winning Messina Hof Winery and Resort on Royal Caribbeans Voyager of the Seas from April 11-18, 2010. Prices start at $809 per person, and a deposit of $150 per person is due by credit card no later than August 30, 2009 with final payment due February 7, 2010.
Please call Debbie or Vicki for additional information and to book at 281-990-8362 or 832-563-6077 or e-mail atdebbies@supertravel.com, vivitex@yahoo.com
Royal Caribbean Voyager departing from Galveston, Texas 22nd Street & Harborside Drive Galveston, TX
April 24 - Wine and Roses Festival at Messina Hof Winery & Resort in Bryan
The one-day festival, centered on the celebration of Spring and the blooming of the roses and grapes, will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 24. Donate canned food items to the Brazos Valley Food Bank and receive a pass for a FREE Tour & Tasting during the festival (each individual must donate 5 cans to receive free pass)!!
Wine Tasting
Food Tents
Live Music
Grape Stomping Competition (starting at 11:00 a.m.)
Arts and Crafts Demo
Grape Stomping Competition:
Get a team of 2-4 people together, submit completed registration form available at www.messinahof.com. The cost to enter is $40 per team. Groups are welcomed to enter more than one team. Wearing team t-shirts is encouraged.
Teams will compete by filling bottles with the juice that they have stomped. At the end of each 2-minute heat, the winning team with the most juice in their bottle will continue to the next stomping bracket. The Grape Stomping Champion is the team which surpasses all others in collecting the most juice. Prizes will be awarded. To make reservations or for information about the Wine & Roses Festival, visit www.messinahof.com or call (800) 736-9463 ext. 234.
May 2010
On the Porch Concert Series
Each Sunday from 6:00 - 8:00 pm (Bernhardt Winery, Plantersville)
June 2010
Harvest Trail: Tickets available starting June 14, 2010
Enjoy each of the vineyards as the grapes gain their rich color. Even take part in some picking and stomping at particular wineries, July 23-24 and 30-31, 2010.
On the Porch Concert Series
Each Sunday from 6:00 - 8:00 pm (Bernhardt Winery, Plantersville)
July 2010
Harvest Trail: Tickets available ONLINE ONLY.
Enjoy each of the vineyards as the grapes gain their rich color. Even take part in some picking and stomping at particular wineries, July 23-24 and 30-31, 2010.
Just print your receipt at the time of purchase and use your receipt as your single ticket or ticket-for-two.
The Wine & Chocolate Trail is a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine's Day. For four days on the first two weekends in February 2010, your trail ticket allows you to sample two wine pairings and two chocolate pairings at each participating winery along The Bluebonnet Wine Trail. All of the wineries along the trail remind you to drink responsibly and designate a driver.
The wine and chocolate pairings are shown below:
Just print your receipt at the time of purchase and use your receipt as your single ticket.
Bernhardt Winery: The first pairing is a one ounce pour of Crimson, a soft, red, full-bodied wine with a rich, warm smoky oak finish paired with an imported dark European chocolate. The second pairing is a one ounce pour of their award-winning, velvety smooth Port Reserve along with an exquisite Port filled chocolate praline.
Colony Cellars: Their tasting experience is different from most in that they offer a course of twelve wines. As such, a duet fondue dish with both dark and light dipping chocolate and butter cookies will be paired with all twelve wines.
Cork This! Winery: Seven – Tawny Port paired with Quintessential liquid center chocolates and Heaven – White Chocolate Port paired with chocolate truffles.
Messina Hof Winery & Resort: Gooey Milk Chocolate Brownie paired with Barrel Reserve Port and Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart paired with Private Reserve Merlot
Pleasant Hill Winery: Offering two port wines, Rosso Forte and Tawny Rosso Fort, will be perfectly paired with Port Truffles and Caramel Walnut Chews by Chocolate Harmony - Chocolatier: Heidemarie Vukovic.
Retreat Hill Winery & Vineyard: Enjoy our hand-crafted chocolate truffle infused with Lehm Berg Harvest Sherry, paired with the Lehm Berg Sherry and our hand-crafted chocolate truffle infused with Retreat Hill Syrah, paired with our newly released Retreat Hill Syrah.
Windy Winery:Enjoy our delicious Chocolate Cobbler and our Tejas Port Chocolate truffles, each paired with our Tejas Port.
Beef 'N Cab Food and Wine Pairing @ Pleasant Hill Winery January 16-17, 2010
We've matched our 2003 Texas Davis Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon with a hearty beef brisket sandwich (BBQ sauce on the side). Our superb Cab is getting better in the bottle! The fantastic Fort Davis fruit is there with mellow oak aging. Enjoy the pairing: beef sandwich and a glass of Cab for $15 during regular hours. See you Saturday 11:00-6:00 or Sunday noon - 5:00.
January 30-31, 2010 Retreat Hill Winery & Vineyard
We closed the first few weekends in January to do some maintenance and bottling. We will reopen for the year on January 30, 2010 with three new releases. We have a dry Riesling, a semi-sweet Gurwerztraminer and a yummy Syrah. In February, we should release our new dry Rose' from our 2009 Texas Zinfandel and we are working with some Texas Lenior, so a port may be just around the corner. Our hours are Saturday 11:00-6:00 or Sunday noon - 5:00.
February 2011
Wine and Chocolate Trail: February 5-6 and February 11-12, 2011
