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Art at Siboney Cellars – Regina’s Flowers by Ms Zena Howe

Artist Introduction
Siboney Cellars features works from local and international artists, artisans and craftsmen.  Our first introduction highlights a wonderful installation at the winery by local artist Zena Howe. Read her interview and story for more about the work below. When you visit Siboney, be sure to view this large format work in our tasting room.

Hello!  Please introduce and tell us a little about yourself.
Zena Stetka Howe. That is not a common name you hear every day! I have been a resident of Johnson City, Texas for 17 years. Born and raised in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), I escaped to the Untied States in 1975 under Political Asylum. After a year of scrutiny from the United States Immigration for fear that my family and I were spies (can you imagine being accused of being a spy?), we were granted staying status in the United States. Finally in 1985 I became a Citizen of the United States. In the early 80’s I met my husband EJ. He was a pilot and I was flight attendant before becoming an artist.

How would you describe the type of work or art you do, broadly speaking? 
I am a visual artist and I work in many kinds of media in abstract style from paintings to sculptures to carvings to photography to printing, etc. How did I learn how to do all these things, “When you have nothing, and you want something, you have to make it yourself.” It is very important to use the right technique and materials so that each project has a lasting quality.

How big a part of your life is your passion for this work?
Wildflowers are abundant in this sleepy old town. I have been inspired over the years by this beautiful countryside and use my natural talent for art to reflect this inspiration.  I find the local landscape motivating and it leads me to see the art in what surrounds me.

OK as far as Siboney, how and when did you first become interested in Siboney Cellars?
From a gathering of my friends under the magnificent oak trees. We get together regularly for wine and great conversations!

OK now tell us about this project at Siboney!
Siboney Cellars are located in the hill country and my love for the wildflowers is obvious in my work. Making this project with wine foils seemed very appropriate for the winery.

What were some of the challenges of this project?
The foil work was very tedious and required quite a bit of time to gather the materials from family, friends and local wineries. Specifically it was a challenge to find wine bottles using green foil.

Why did you agree to do it, what are some of the motivations for your participation?
I enjoy seeing my art work at the local wineries. This project specifically will allow me to reach a broader audience.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our followers and fellow wine-lovers?
Stay thirsty my fiends and save the foils for me!!!

Do we have your permission to share this Q&A with our followers and the wine-loving public?
Yes. I am

Harvest 2021 – Fire Oak Vineyards

We have much to report on the Harvest of 2021! Barbara is nearly ready to put a bow on all the grapes coming in from our vineyard partners. We will sit down together and get a full rundown soon. Meanwhile, we can happily report that all the fruit from Fire Oak Vineyards is now safely in the cellar! This highlight reel gives you a great idea of the family and community spirit it takes to bring off a sustained hand-harvesting effort. Barbara received the harvest from Shelia Busch at Fire Oak, and we could not be more pleased. And as word reached the vineyard of the passing of Shelia’s mother in the night, family and community worked as one. With love in our hearts, the Infinite Sky overhead, and generations of children and grandchildren present, the harvest flowed. And we will do our very best to honor the effort and moments captured here in what is to follow. We applaud and commend the Busch family and their equally awesome vineyard manager, Adrienne Freeman, for the sustained, meticulous work they led.

Take a look at the harvest highlight reel!


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Fire Oak – New Vineyard Partner in Central Texas

Long before we dared to dream of making it ourselves, we readily understood that wine is really made in the vineyard. We are fortunate to work with top growers like Neal Newsom and Lahey Vineyards in the High Plains. Indeed, your feedback on wines like Quatre Rouges, Solo, Tempranillo is so encouraging. Ditto the upcoming 2019 Merlot Cellar Selection! We also have a custom-farming agreement with a fantastic new High Plains vineyard grower we can’t wait to share with you next month. But today, we would like to introduce our new vineyard partners from Central Texas. And extend a special invite to their harvest festival at the end of July. Siboney looks forward to great fruit from Fire Oak Vineyard for many years.

Fire Oak Vineyard


Fire Oak Vineyard was established in 2017 (coincidentally, our very first vintage!) on a beautiful 30 acre site by Billy and Shelia Busch. Our partners, Bill and Mary Anne Waldrip, introduced us to the Busch family last year. After walking between the rows of their well-managed vineyard plots, we made arrangements to contract the fruit from this unique Texas terroir. Situated on a gentle slope of gravelly loam and clay soil at about 1500 feet elevation, this promising vineyard site is located near Goldthwaite, in Mills County. It’s just about 90 miles north of Siboney Cellars, off Highway 183. The Busch family is a delight. Shelia has boundless energy and enthusiasm, and Billy makes sure they stay well grounded — a perfect Kite-and-String arrangement! We truly admire their strong commitment to expanding the vineyard footprint for Texas wine.

Under the capable on-site management of Adrienne Freeman, with assistance from veteran grower Penny Adams, Fire Oak Vineyard has 15 acres under vine, and 8 varietals. Right in the middle of a relatively cool, wet 2021 growing season, Adrienne reports Verasion is underway. While we are guarded with our forecasts, we know the site is in strong hands. We also know that August can be a difference-maker in the Texas summer! We look forward to the next site visit. Meanwhile, here is a highlight reel from June with Shelia and Adrienne.

Harvest Festival July 31

The Busches host a grand harvest festival and blessing each year. Here is the link to their registration, you’re invited! Scheduled for Saturday July 31, it’s a great day for families of all ages, including a grape stomp, wine blending, vineyard tours and kids activities. Check out the schedule! And yes, we are delighted to be a part of this event with food and wine pairings of Siboney Cellars wines!

Siboney looks forward to great fruit from Fire Oak Vineyard for many years. And, we are happy to partner with such a wonderful Texas family. Barbara is already talking about the wonderful potential of hard-to-source Rhone varietals for our portfolio. And whispering about another sparkling wine option. To that we say, #JustYouWait!

And watch this space for a future story about our new partners in the High Plains!

The Story of Siboney’s 2019 Merlot Cellar Selection

As we prepare the 2019 Merlot from Newsom Vineyards for bottling, we thought you might like to read a little more about this very special Cellar Selection from Siboney. The wine premiered as a pre-sale barrel sample wine to Members at the Spring Release event in April, 2021. We will fully release this wine in the Fall. All Photos by Miguel Lecuona
Midnight in Plains, Texas. September 27 2019 – Harvest date of Newsom Vineyards Merlot

Neal Newsom grows some of the best grapes in Texas, leading to award-winning wines from his vineyard blocks in Plains, TX for many distinguished Texas Wineries.  We met Neal at his barn many years ago and are so pleased to work with him.  You have tasted our 2017 Tempranillo, that is from Newsom Vineyards.  Now comes the next wine from Newsom Vineyards – the 2019 Merlot “Cellar Selection.”

Newsom Vineyards - Merlot Block. Plains, Tx
Merlot Block at Newsom Vineyards, planted in 1996, 1999, 2011

Much can be said about the 2019 High Plains growing season, but like any great story, Mother Nature saved the best for last.  Harvest was September 27, at 1AM — in other words, late and very late! The reason for this situation?  A pronounced High Plains heat spike in August caused some vineyards to become unbalanced… sugar levels soared while seeds and skins remained unripe. And then…. nothing.  The vines basically shut down. So the grower and winery each face a dead-mans choice — harvest with good sugars and questionable overall ripeness, or wait and see whether the vines, with a little more time, can balance things out.  So we played vineyard roulette during September.  

Slowly the seeds began to ripen and turn from a green to a dark brown over 30 days.  We visited Neal on September 19, tasted the grapes and thought if we could get one or two more weeks things might just balance out in the vineyard.  

Barbara, with Doug Reed of Hawk’s Shadow, Ben Calais, and Neal Newsom

As an experienced grower, Neal has many cares, many who depend on his choices. And he balances patience with practicalities. That’s why we love working with him.  On September 27, over dinner, we looked at an updated forecast to decide whether to return home, and there it was — a huge swirling mass of high plains thunderheads bearing down on Neal’s vineyards. Further, looking ahead, we could see the forecast showing more storny weather and fewer sunny days. No point waiting for an October Surprise with those risks. And so at that moment we made the game-time decision and contacted Neal to see whether he could fit the Merlot harvest into his already-tight schedule.  And, ’round midnight, he confirmed the plan of action as we were surrounded by lignthing storms on all sides.  The race was on!  Neal’s team worked in several vineyard plots to bring in grapes ahead of rains as they cycled ever closer. This image shows Neal’s harvester traversing his Syrah block as the storms edged ever closer.  Miguel scrambled onto the roof of his jeep with his Nikon and tripod to get the dramatic shot, thus creating the highest point in Plains at that moment, and impersonating a human lightning rod. What he lacks in smarts he makes up for in passion!