Three Cheers for Regional Wine

Raise a glass to local wine during Regional Wine Week

By LISA PETTY

Updated 7:45 AM CST, Thu, Oct 15, 2009

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What’s red and white and doesn’t come from California, Oregon or Washington? Regional Wine!

This week marks the second annual Regional Wine Week, seven days devoted to exploring the local wines of North America. Overlapping with our month-long celebration of Texas wines, this week is a perfect time to pick up a Lone Star bottle (or two or three) to sip in the spirit of adventure.

“We're more than pleasantly surprised,” says Regional Wine Week co-founder and well-known Wine Curmudgeon Jeff Siegel of the growing interest in local wines. “We’ve had more response than last year, and from more places in the country - Iowa, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, you name it!”

Today we’ll stick closer to home with Messina Hof wines. Founded in 1977, Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo’s vineyard, winery and resort in Bryan is a favorite with locals and tourists alike. You can find the fruits of their labor around town at Albertsons, Kroger and Newflower Farmers Market – just to name a few.

We love Messina Hof Barrel Reserve Merlot in particular, a smooth blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in American oak, this gold medal-winner is an affordable crowd-pleaser at parties and also makes a great hostess gift. Though ready to drink straight from the bottle, it truly shines if allowed a few moments to “breathe” after opening.

And while you’re enjoying a glass of that Messina Hof, take a moment to check out DrinkLocalWine.com. There you’ll find a wealth of mouth-watering information on wines from across the U.S. and Canada, compiled by Siegel and fellow wine writer Dave McIntyre. You won’t believe some of the spots getting in on the wine action these days!

Cheers!