Who We Are
Rooted in Heritage. Refined in the Hill Country.
Sauceda Cellars draws its name—and its spirit—from the legacy of Sauceda Ranch, founded by Judge W.W. Bogel and his sons in the rugged beauty of West Texas. Today, that land forms part of Big Bend Ranch State Park, but its legacy endures through the Bogel family's continued dedication to excellence.
From Augustus Bogel’s 1851 arrival in America to the present-day vines of the Texas Hill Country, each generation has carried forward a pioneering spirit—grounded in innovation, agriculture, and a love for the land. That tradition continues under the direction of Ed Cowsar, a descendant of Judge Bogel, whose vision for Sauceda Cellars honors both his ancestry and the evolving craft of winemaking.
The label art features original works by Clara Caffery Pancoast—a newspaperwoman, artist, and family matriarch—whose paintings reflect the grace and landscape of early Texas. Her legacy, like the wines themselves, is a blend of beauty, complexity, and character.
At Sauceda Cellars, history is more than a story—it’s a standard.
Meet Our Founders
The Cowsar family have been landowners of ag producing properties in Central, West and South Texas for generations and live in Gillespie County. Ed and Robin Cowsar raised their now grown children in Fredericksburg where they experienced a quality education and enjoyed all that the Hill Country has to offer. All three sons live close to I35, one in San Antonio, one in Dallas, and one in Lincoln NE.
After meeting at Texas A&M, Ed and Robin lived in Austin and Bellaire prior to moving to Fredericksburg 30 years ago. Robin grew up in Southside Place in central Houston and Ed grew up in Uvalde and Carrizo Springs. Both are A&M grads and Robin is a Dyslexia Therapist, and Ed has a background building technology companies and has taken winemaker coursework at UC Davis and they continue to apply what they learn to the business.
Ed's Grandfather was rancher Amos Graves Bogel who together with his brothers owned the Sauceda Ranch in Presidio County where their dad WW Bogel was County Judge and a rancher closer to Marfa. The family have a passion for hospitality, history, quality ag production, and after renovating their Crockett Haus Event Venue and have added a well researched wine line, leveraging their attention to detail in sourcing grapes, wine, and engaging the industry in California and Texas.
The Art That Inspires Our Wine
Magnolia Blossoms
Charco Largo Ranch House
Sauceda Bluebonnet Pasture
Clara Caffery Pancoast
Daughter of Jefferson Jackson Caffery and Anna Maria Crow. Clara worked for the San Antonio Express as head of the women's department for eleven years. Next, she was an editor ("editress") for the society column of the San Antonio Light newspaper. Clara was organizer and first president of the Business and Professional Women's Club of San Antonio. Clara's art was shown in a variety of art shows, from local to national and had several solo exhibitions. She married William T Pancoast of San Antonio where they raised two daughters, Mary and Edith.
INTERESTING FACT:
CC Pancoast found that her paintings sold better when she just used initials, similar to J.K. Rowling.
W W Bogel
Son of 1851 German immigrant and Pharmacist, Augustus Julius Bogel and Julia Bogel, Judge William Woodworth Bogel had sheep ranches in Maverick & Frio Counties and a feed store in San Antonio before marrying Sarah Newton, daughter of Col Samuel Galitzen Newton and his wife Mary. WW Bogel sold out in San Antonio, lived in Monterrey and then established ranching operations in the Big Bend in Presidio County which included La Sauceda Ranch among others south of Marfa. He served as County Judge for years where he and Sarah had seven children and the Bogel ranch innovations continue to impact agriculture in Texas.
INTERESTING FACT:
The Judge raised sheep, goats, Highland Herefords, horses and once had a contract with the US Army for mules.
Our History
The roots of Sauceda Cellars stretch back to the legacy of Judge W.W. Bogel, a respected rancher and the son of German immigrant Augustus Julius Bogel, who arrived in America in 1851. Judge Bogel’s sons—Gallie, Gus, Graves, and Edward—the Bogel Brothers were the primary force behind the historic Sauceda Ranch in West Texas.
Their ranching legacy lives on today, as the Sauceda Ranch is now part of Big Bend Ranch State Park, one of the most iconic and rugged natural landscapes in Texas.
CC Pancoast, a painter and writer had a daughter Mary, a concert violinist who married rancher Graves Bogel one of the Bogel Brothers. When Graves Bogel of the Sauceda Ranch took Mary Pancoast as a bride it created a lasting union between art and agriculture as witnessed in Sauceda Cellars wine and label artwork of CC Pancoast.
They lived on the Sauceda and Charco Largo Ranches south of Marfa improving agricultural methods in West Texas. This heritage of innovation, land stewardship, and pioneering spirit continues today through the family winemaking tradition in the Texas Hill Country.
