Our Story
Since 2008, Steve and Cindy Newsom Vineyards have strived to consistently produce the finest quality wine grapes. In 2018, they began English Newsom Cellars with the goal to make premium quality, estate-grown wines. Our internationally award-winning wines are 100% Texas High Plains and celebrate our commitment to sustainable agriculture and family farming.
From the vine to the bottle, we nurture our wine through it all. It’s rewarding to see our hard work come to fruition as each bottle undergoes a rite of passage from the vineyard, to the bottling line and out into the world. Our wine is made from grapes grown in our vineyards, and our wines are made entirely on our property. The wine doesn’t leave the property during fermentation, aging, or bottling.
This commitment gives our customers the confidence that year after year we will deliver both quality and yields to support and grow both the Texas wine industry and also the Texas economy. We invite you to visit our winery and taste our passion for perfection in every single drop. Family-owned, family-grown, that’s English Newsom Cellars.
We happily extend the invitation to come and see what Texas tastes like!
OUR VISION: English Newsom Cellars wants Texas wine to be celebrated, enjoyed and shared.
OUR MISSION: As a small family owned winery we are able to focus on every detail of quality from the vine to the bottle.
OUR VALUES: We will achieve our vision by staying true to the following core values:
• Employees: We are committed to treating our employees as our greatest asset by providing competitive wages, responsive management, and training.
• Flexibility: As we strive to serve and satisfy the needs of our customers, our exceptional team accepts that change is a key factor to staying ahead of the curve.
• Teamwork: A culture of respect, communication, and high standards produces excellent employee hires and retention. With a strong cultivation mentality, English Newsom Cellars believes that a good idea deserves to be heard, regardless of title or position. We take pride in our work and are proud of the top-tier team of professionals moving us forward.
• Rewards: Competitive wages, and a service-centered culture is the bonus for being part of the English Newsom Cellars Team.
• Love Local: We aim to support Lubbock and Texas. We do this through sharing the beauty of our facility and award winning wines with visitors from across the country. We also provide a wine experience that brings customers back to the region time and time again. Our award winning wines are 100% Texas High Plains and we take pride in that. We are also known for donating to local charitable causes. We are dedicated to the continuous growth of English Newsom Cellars locally and statewide.
Our Awards
We encourage you to discover our award winning wines from the world’s largest wine competitions. At these competitions the top wine experts, including Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers, come together to blind taste wines from across the world.
Our wine has won numerous national and international medals and best in class designations. These awards are a universally recognized indicator of exceptional quality and craftsmanship.
Our Team
Kyra Simmons – Business Manager
Kyra is from Acuff, TX and received her bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University. After graduation she began her career in management. With over 20 years of managing people in retail and restaurant settings, business growth is her passion. Empowering a team to be creative and provide superb customer service gives her enormous gratification. At English Newsom Cellars she has the unique privilege to indulge in every aspect of the business. Kyra is able to manage many things at once and keeps things operating smoothly for the employees and the business.
Rachelle Schiffner- Tasting Room Manager / WSET Level 1
Rachelle was originally born and raised in California. She then moved to Lubbock, TX, where she attended New Deal High School. During high school, joined the Army National Guard, and deployed to Iraq in 2008-2009. Upon returning to Lubbock after her service, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Wayland Baptist University. She has since been managing restaurants for the last 10 years, where her interest in wine began. Since joining the team in February 2025, Rachelle has loved continuing her wine education and helping make the tasting room a great place to visit!
Nathaniel Pfahning – Finance Manager
Nathaniel was raised in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating high school in San Antonio, Nathaniel moved to Lubbock to pursue his higher education at Texas Tech University. At Texas Tech, Nathaniel completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, with a minor in music education. Nathaniel has been exposed to wine since an early age, and began his time with English Newsom Cellars as a wine steward in 2022 while working on his degree. Since graduating, Nathaniel has moved into the position of Finance Manager, and continues to grow as a part of the English Newsom Cellar’s team.
Christie Hodge – Wine Steward / Training Coordinator / Shift Leader / WSET Level 2
Christie has lived in Lubbock for most of her life. She graduated from Texas Tech University with degrees in Advertising and Food and Nutrition and worked as a registered dietitian. Christie is a homeschool mom and teaches in a homeschool co-op. She is active in her church and loves to exercise. Christie also hosts AirBnB homes in Lubbock, which gives her an opportunity to connect with guests and create a space that makes them feel welcome and valued. Her mission in working at English Newsom Cellars is the same – to serve guests superb wine and connect with them through warm, caring service. Christie has her WSET Level 2
Stefan Rudeloff ~ Wine Steward
Stefan is originally from Dallas, Texas where he grew up around wine and gained a deep appreciation for the industry early on. He came to Lubbock to study at Texas Tech University, where he is currently studying History as his major. Stefan’s favorite part about working at English Newsom Cellars is getting to interact with guests and work the many different types of events hosted at the winery. In his free time, he loves hiking, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with his friends and family.
Seth Satterwhite ~ Wine Steward
Seth was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas. After graduating from South Plains College, Seth transferred to Texas Tech University in pursuit of a degree in Plant and Soil Sciences. His passion for agriculture was ignited during his experiences in FFA. He raised livestock, completed welding projects, and competed in several leadership development events to prepare him for a career in agriculture. After taking a liking to viticulture, there was no better way to continue his wine knowledge than to begin working in the tasting room at English Newsom Cellars.
Mariah Carlisle – Production Manager / WSET Level 2
Mariah was born and grew up in Lubbock, Texas. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Texas Tech University and went on to complete her Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies combining Chemistry, Business and Viticulture. In her final semester at Texas Tech, she participated in an internship with Llano Estacado Winery. During this time, she discovered her true passion for wine. Next, she spent three years as the Manager for a wine lab in Brownfield, Texas, where she became very familiar with different grape varieties, winemaking styles/methods and storage techniques. She was also in charge of Quality Control for the bottled projects. At the end of 2019, Mariah joined the team at English Newsom Cellars as the Tasting Room Manager. She enjoys familiarizing others with English Newsom wines as well as continuing her own wine education.
Keegan Newsom – Vineyard Manager
Farming and developing world class vineyards is my passion. I manage 21 varietals on 100 acres in Hockley County, Texas. My dad and I have a reputation as a supplier of quality winegrapes.
I started working in the vineyards at age 14. In high school I realized I wanted to work with my Dad and follow in his footsteps. My philosophy in growing grapes is to treat each varietal and each site unique to the soil type, water availability and then adjust to what Mother Nature gives us each year with the weather.
Back in Lubbock, he progressed through various jobs within the winery becoming Winemaker in 2006. In 2015, Chris left his position to pursue a winery consulting operation. This landed him in Lamesa, Texas working with the Delaney Vineyard as an employee rather than a consultant. Here, Chris learned more about grape growing and how it translates to the wine being made. In 2017, while still working in Lamesa, Chris was hired as the consulting winemaker for the Texas Wine Company in Meadow, TX. This custom crush facility brought in grapes from various vineyards in the Brownfield, TX area and helped wineries in the Texas High Plains as well as the Texas Hill Country. After one year in Meadow, Chris decided to focus his energy on winemaking and grape growing in Lamesa. Always a believer in the power of continuing education, Chris completed the UC Davis Winemaking Certificate Program in 2022 and the Washington State University Viticulture Certificate Program in 2024. Beginning 2025, Chris is now the winemaker at the English Newsom Cellars where he is encouraged to continue to make award-winning Texas wines.
Elizabeth Clampitt – Wine Steward
Elizabeth Clampitt was born and raised in Alvarado, Texas. She moved to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech University. She is a member of the Goin’ Band from Raiderland at Texas Tech and currently a sophomore on track to becoming a nurse. Elizabeth’s passion for wine comes from her mother, who makes her own wine at home. English Newsom Cellars is exactly the place where she can learn more about wine and have fun while doing it.
Sidda Schultz – Wine Steward
Lycretia Thompson – Brand Ambassador
Lycretia Thompson is from Lubbock, Texas and attended Texas Tech University. She has over 30 years of experience in office management, sales and marketing. Lycretia represents English Newsom Cellars in a positive light, and by doing so, helps increase brand awareness and sales. She embodies our culture in appearance, demeanor, values and ethics. To know her is to love her!
Angie Alspaugh – Compliance Manager
Angie received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education from Texas Tech University. She worked for 25 years in the mental health field as a Licensed Professional Counselor, with the last 15 of those years in the role of Clinical Director at a residential treatment center for children and teens.In 2009 Angie and her husband Terry founded a nonprofit horse rescue organization, Easy R Equine Rescue, of which she is the Executive Director.
She has been employed at Caprock Winery/EN Cellars for the past 4 years. She is also a registered yoga instructor and teaches classes at several area gyms.