There is a hidden gem of the Brazos Valley: Messina Hof Winery.

Established in 1977 by Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo, the little winery has turned into the most-awarded of its kind in the state of Texas.

Rooted in the fastest growing winery region in the U.S., students who haven’t experienced the winery need to make the short drive.

The vineyard was an spontaneous idea started by the couple after an A&M graduate student piqued the their interest.

The graduate student was a physical therapy patient of Paul’s and his interest in the winery business got him thinking, Bonarrigo said.

When they looked back, they found Bonarrigo’s family were once owners of vineyards in Messina, Sicily. Merrill’s family was originally from Hof, Germany, and after the couple invested in some land, they had a vineyard, and a new name.

Beginning Friday is the winery’s biggest event of the year: Harvest Festival 2010.

“It’s the culmination of all the hard work in the vineyard’s celebration of the 2010 harvest,” Bonarrigo said.

The festival itself is full of activities that will interest even the beginning wine connoisseur.

There is grape picking, grape stomping, a vineyard lunch, a tutorial on pairing wine with food and multiple tastings.

“The festival is a truly great way to learn about wine,” Merrill said. “It’s such an international beverage. It’s the beverage of fine dining and business dining.”

At the festival, students can walk through the process of wine-making.

“You get to experience the journey from grape to glass all in one day,” Merrill said. “You come away with a feel for the passion of the winemaking process. It’s truly an art and a science. This experience will give you an understanding of the palate to taste wine as well as an understanding of food and wine pairings.”

For the college student, the festival provides a full day of enjoyment that will have a lasting impact.

“Students are in quest for knowledge,” Bonarrigo said. “Most people that enjoy wine know the experience, but this experience fills in the gaps from the grape to the bottle. It’ll give them a much deeper appreciation of the product. I know that when I was a student, this type of thing planted the seed for my profession.”

Also involved in the Harvest Festival are themed dinners destined to give the college student and festivalgoer a truly memorable and unique evening.

“I’ll tell you what,” Merrill said. “The mystery dinners and luaus and the festival make for great date days and date nights.”

So, when you’re sitting around on a dull Saturday, after countless weekends at the pool, try something new. Get in the car and make the drive out to Messina Hof. The festival begins

Friday and continues for the next five weekends.