Wine & Roses Festival

April 25^th – this Saturday!

Grape stomp competition ($40 per team of 2-4 persons)

Farmer’s Market beginning at 1pm

Spring Release Wines (see below)

Fabulous 8 Tracks’ Live Performance
Wine Tasting

Tours

For more information, or to sign up for the grape stomping competition go to the following:

http://www.messinahof.com/wineroses.php

Spring release wines include the following:

2008 Gewürztraminer
2008 Riesling
2007 Barrel Reserve Merlot
2007 Barrel Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Barrel Reserve Shiraz
Texas Hold’em Red
Texas Hold’em White
2007 Merrill’s Vineyard Angel
2007 Muscat Canelli Frizzanti
2007 Pinot Grigio
2005 Private Reserve Port
Sangria
2008 Private Reserve Pinot Noir

Our VIP membership is sure to give the wine lover in you, your family, or your friends a real treat. At an initial membership price of just $100, you get the following:

1. Private Tour and Tasting for up to 20 people
2. 12 Custom Design Labels
3. 2 Red Berets
4. 2 VIP membership cards that include these privileges:

20% off   Guest Center Purchases (wine, accessories, etc.)

10% off a stay at the Villa--our acclaimed most romantic bed and breakfast

5% off the Vintage House Restaurant (4 star quality) and Wine Bar

You can purchase a membership for yourself or for any of your relatives or friends. Remember that Messina Hof is located in Bryan, Texas--a location centered among all the major cities: Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, Waco, and San Antonio. We look forward to your visit!

Go here to check the VIP membership out!

http://shoppingcart.messinahof.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16317&cat=265&page=1

Messina Hof Private Labels

Our custom label program, or Private Labels, is a great way to spruce up any wine gift for the holidays. We have several holiday templates to choose from, and you are able to add any text that you would like.

Here are some of the more common phrases we are currently making on our private labels:

From Our Family to Yours

Happy Holidays 2008 from the So-and-sos

Merry Christmas! (line break) Barrel Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Remember, Christmas is just around the corner so get your requests in as soon as possible in order to get your labels processed and ready before Christmas day! As aforementioned, a VIP membership includes 12 private labels and a 20% discount on the wines you can choose from.

Alex Maki is our custom label guru, you can reach her at privatelabels@messinahof.com. She will be able to send you our templates so that you can get your gifts started. 

We look forward to working with you!

Best Regards,

Justin Baker

Director of Shipping

Messina Hof Winery

Frizzante!

So what is all this talk about Frizzante? And what does it have to do with Messina Hof?

First, what is Frizzante?

Frizzante is a stylistic variance of winemaking. This style gives more of the zing and pop you love in a semi-dry wine, and the reason is extra carbon dioxide. The following are some various websites that discuss Frizzante wines, its relation to other types of bubbly, and the definitions thereof:

1. http://www.answers.com/topic/frizzante

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparkling_wine

3. http://www.epicurious.com/tools/winedictionary/entry?id=6506

Second, why Frizzante?

For those of you who are not into drinking Champagnes or Sparkling Wines, do not fret! Frizzante wines are only slightly more effervescent than a wine retaining its natural carbonation; the resulting taste is not an overpowering mouthful of fizz, rather an extra crispness (slight!) helping to offset some of the sweetness of the wine.

Hence, if you are a dry white wine drinker, a Frizzante Gewürztraminer or Muscat Canelli is the perfect in betweener if a semi-dry is too sweet for your taste. The same goes vice versa: if you are into drinking a semi-dry and wishing you liked a Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, the Frizzante wines will help train your palate to enjoy those drier wines.

And for those of you who are Champagne and Sparkling Wine drinkers, these will be really delightful to your palate, just a tiny bit of tingling!

Third, why not: A refreshing beverage recipe -- try this one out!

Ivory Ports of Call Mojito

• 6 fresh mint leaves
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 ounces Ivory Ports of Call
• 2 ounces Frizzante Gewurztraminer or Muscat Canelli

Mix 3 mint leaves into the lime juice to release flavors. Shake Ivory Ports of call with lime-mint concoction. Top with Messina Hof Frizzante wine and garnish with mint leaves…enjoy!

(Ivory: http://shoppingcart.messinahof.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16172&cat=0&)page=1)

Current Messina Hof Frizzante wines:

2007 Muscat Canelli

(http://shoppingcart.messinahof.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16203&cat=0&page=1 make sure you write “2007” or “Frizzante” in the comment line so that you receive the correct vintage)

2008 Gewurztraminer

(http://shoppingcart.messinahof.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16202&cat=0&page=1 make sure you write “2008” or “Frizzante” in the comment line so that you receive the correct vintage)

Lastly, it is the season for Beau Jolee!

Currently, in Provence and Cote-du-Rhone France , people are lining the streets to celebrate the release of Fall vintages. Among these, are the releases of Syrah (genetically similar to our Shiraz ), Pinot Noir, and Gamay Beaujolais.

In fact, the Gamay Beaujolais of France is what we call Beau Jolee at Messina Hof—since our grapes are not grown in Beaujolais France, we are not allowed to call it that!

Nevertheless, Beau Jolee (http://shoppingcart.messinahof.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16170&cat=257&page=1) remains very close and is a perfect complement for Thanksgiving type meals: pies, turkey, ham, cranberry dressing and so forth.

As always, we appreciate your time and interest in Messina Hof! Thanks for reading!

Sincerely yours,

Justin Baker

Director of Shipping

Messina Hof Winery and Resort