Inside the Vintage: A 2019 Ursa Red Wine Experience

Step into the story of a remarkable vintage at a seated tasting of 2019 red wines, guided by Ursa Winemakers Deborah Elissagaray and Greg Stokes. This curated experience invites guests to explore the character, craftsmanship, and nuances that define the 2019 vintage, straight from the hands and hearts behind the wines.

Featured wines:

• 2019 Mencía, Silvaspoons Vineyards
• 2019 Merlot, Sierra Foothills
• 2019 Petite Sirah, Sierra Foothills
• 2019 Souzão, Sierra Foothills
• 2019 Tannat, Ferrel Ranch
• 2019 Zinfandel, Sierra Foothills

The event will be held in the barrel room at Bending Branch Winery. A charcuterie plate will accompany the tasting.

Attendees will have access to exclusive, event-only pricing on featured Ursa wines.

$20 Early bird pricing available through February 28.

About the Winemakers:

Nestled in the pastoral foothills of Placerville, California, Ursa Vineyards was founded in 2001 by husband-and-wife team, Greg Stokes and Deborah Elissagaray. Placerville is a charming “Gold Rush” town named after the placer gold deposits found in its hills and riverbeds in the late 1840s.

Greg and Deborah started their winemaking careers in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and first met in 1992 while working at David Bruce Winery. Greg is a highly respected viticulturist and a consultant to numerous vineyards. Deborah has family ties to Southwest France, and the region inspired her work on the D’Elissagaray Basque Blend that bears her name and makes predominant use of the Tannat grape. The couple fell in love with the grape and were the first to produce Tannat wines in California. They’ve been making Tannat in the Sierra Foothills every year since establishing Ursa in 2001.

A mutual interest in Tannat is also what brought together Ursa and Bending Branch Winery, when Dr. Bob Young hired Greg as a consultant in 2007. Their professional relationship flourished, and when Bending Branch was founded in 2009, its first wines were made by Bob and Greg at Ursa. The Young family purchased Ursa in 2014, making Greg and Deborah a permanent part of the team.

Greg and Deborah were awarded Best Winemakers of El Dorado County in 2017, and we are proud to showcase their beautiful wines at the Bending Branch tasting room.

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