12th Annual Derby Extravaganza tickets are on sale now!

Something special happens at Bending Branch Winery the first Saturday of every May. Join us as we celebrate the Young Family’s Kentucky roots at the 12th Annual Derby Extravaganza on Saturday, May 4. Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon at the beautiful Bending Branch Estate with live music by Shane Stumpf, a barbecue meal from Rudy’s, wine, hats, horses, and bourbon mint juleps. This event is in partnership with our friends at Frost Bank.

Bending Branch Winery’s Derby Extravaganza has grown in size and scale over the years. What began in 2011 with a few guests sipping Picpoul Blanc mint juleps on the patio of the tasting room has evolved into a premium celebration hosted on the winery’s crush pad. It now includes a VIP package, reserved tables, and an outfield in which guests can bring their own pop-up tents and chairs. The hat parade competition gets better every year, and this year we have added a competition for Best Dressed Couple. And with the addition of bourbon to the Bending Branch portfolio in 2023, we also feature pours and cocktails made with ChickenDuck or premium Bending Branch 1840 Kentucky straight bourbon.

Bending Branch Winery believes in giving back to the local community, and the Derby Extravaganza has a charitable component. A portion of ticket sales and all silent auction proceeds will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Comfort, an organization whose mission is to empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as responsible, caring, productive citizens. In 2023, we were able to raise $9,000 for our local Boys & Girls Club from the Derby Extravaganza event.

Don’t miss out on this fun and exciting Hill Country event! Tickets are on sale now at Eventbrite.
TICKETS & DETAILS

Dr. Bob Young presents a check to the Boys & Girls Club of Comfort from 2023 Derby Extravaganza proceeds.

Ursa Vineyards Winemaker Dinner

~Exclusively for Ursa Gold Rush Club Members~

We are thrilled to hold our first-ever Ursa Winemaker Dinner on November 19th at The Ingenhuett on High. Originally scheduled for November of 2020, the pandemic forced us to postpone this Ursa Gold Rush Club-exclusive event. Ursa Winemakers Greg Stokes and Deborah Elissagaray will be traveling from Placerville, California, to be a part of this special evening along with the Ursa at Branch on High team.

Tickets are on sale now for this Basque-inspired wine dinner prepared by Tina and Lucas Kent of The Bread Box. The event will feature wine and food pairing stations so guests can move around the space throughout the evening. The Ingenhuett on High has both indoor and outdoor areas for guests to mix and mingle.

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MENU

6:30 p.m. Welcome wine | 7 p.m. Dinner

Charcuterie
Individual cups filled with Jamón, Manchego cheese, quince paste, olives, dried apricots, and pecans

Veggies
Cold smoked asparagus, mushrooms, squash, and tomatoes marinated in fresh Spanish oregano and extra virgin olive oil

Meats
Seared lamb marinated in fresh yogurt and herbs
Seared beef tenderloin marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh parsley

Dessert
Basque cheesecake

$50 per member. Limit 2 tickets per membership. This event is 21+ only.
**URSA GOLD RUSH MEMBERS – CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR THE EVENTBRITE TICKET LINK.**

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Not an Ursa Gold Rush Member? Visit our Wine Clubs page to join today! Contact Ursa at Branch on High if you need assistance: 830-995-3394 or club@ursavineyards.com.

Pictured: Deborah Elissagaray and Greg Stokes, along with Vespa and Coco, at Ursa Vineyards in Placerville.

Virtual Wine Tasting for a Cause

Bending Branch Winery is teaming up with Love Not Lost for an October 14th virtual fundraising event. Love Not Lost is on a mission to revolutionize the way we heal in grief. They do this through their photography program, community support program, and corporate care program.

Their photography program was inspired by Founder and Executive Director Ashley Jones’s personal experience. Ashley’s daughter Skylar faced a terminal illness and died at 21 months of age. The photographs that Ashley has from two professional sessions with her daughter continue to offer tangible comfort. Ashley has donated photography sessions for people facing terminal diagnoses since her experience. She says, “Not only do I hope to pay it forward, but I hope to change the way we look at grief and suffering so that we can love people better and bring healing through loss.”

CLICK HERE to read about Ashley’s story in greater detail. Photo of Skylar by Tessa Marie Photography for The Jones Family.

Ashley was introduced to Bending Branch Winery when she met Bending Branch’s General Manager, Jennifer McInnis Fadel. Jennifer was touched by Ashley and Love Not Lost because of her own grief journey, and she also knew there would be synergy between Love Not Lost and Bending Branch.

Bending Branch Winery Co-owners and Founders Dr. Robert W. and Brenda Young face their own grief from the loss of a child. Their son Phillip died in a car accident at the age of 18. It’s not something that they talk about often, but they continually do good deeds in their son’s memory through a trust in his honor.

Ashley and the Young Family share a connection to Atlanta. Love Not Lost is based in Atlanta, and Dr. Bob spent 16 years in Atlanta managing Meridian Medical Group practice. Also, along with a few other physicians in the United States, he developed a new specialty in inpatient medicine called Hospitalist at Eagle Hospital Physicians.

Like many nonprofit organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the ability to fundraise, so virtually bringing together two inspiring business founders – Dr. Bob of Bending Branch and Ashley of Love Not Lost – seemed like a winning combination to impact good.

Participants of the virtual tasting will be guided through tasting three Bending Branch wines while hearing engaging conversations and stories. Participants will also receive a charcuterie package.

CLICK HERE For more information and to purchase the package. Please place your order by September 22.

I’m very moved by the Love Not Lost mission and look forward to October 14.

We grieve deeply because we love deeply, and that love is never lost. – Ashley Jones, Love Not Lost Founder

Bending Branch Wine Retreat at Camp Lucy

We are excited to partner with Camp Lucy to offer our first-ever Wine Retreat at their beautiful property in on Thursday, June 24th. Join the Bending Branch team for a private wine reception, dinner in the vineyard, and an overnight stay.

Nestled on an idyllic ranch in Dripping Springs, Camp Lucy has become the ultimate Hill Country getaway with luxury accommodations, world-class services, and gorgeous venues only minutes from Austin.

Camp Lucy is also home to a vineyard. We are proud to work with owners Kim and Whit Hanks, and the exceptional Camp Lucy team, to produce a single-variety Malbec and a three-variety red wine blend. Camp Lucy’s commitment to excellence mirrors the Bending Branch philosophy, generating an impressive synergy.

Join the Bending Branch team for a private reception, dinner in the vineyard, and an overnight stay on June 24th. Come experience the sophisticated style and warm hospitality Camp Lucy has to offer.

The $155 per-person ticket includes:

• 5 p.m. Private wine and bites reception at Ian's Chapel Pavilion
• 7:30 p.m. Dinner experience in the Camp Lucy Vineyard
• Group code for a discounted rate of $199 +tax for your overnight stay on June 24th.*

*The cost of the guest room is not included with this ticket. You will book your room through Camp Lucy online with group code 16357 or call 512-894-4400 to make your reservation. A limited number of luxury suites and cottages are also available at a higher rate.

Each attendee needs their own ticket for the retreat. Ticket sales have ended.

Reserve now! 1840 Blending Experience

One of the year’s most highly anticipated weekends is now a whole month long!

The 1840 Club Blending Party is now the Blending Experience, and it’s available to all 1840 and 1840 Custom Case Club members by reservation from January 2 through January 31, 2021.  It’s easy and fun.

• Assemble a team of 2 to 8 1840 club members. 
• Choose your preferred date. Reservations are for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Email club@bendingbranchwinery.com or call the estate tasting room at 830-995-2948 to confirm availability and reserve your table (or 2 tables if your team is larger than 6 people, per Governor Abbott’s Executive Order).
• When you arrive at Bending Branch for your reservation, you’ll be provided with samples from the barrel of four wines, and the necessary measuring tools. When you’ve mastered the perfect blend, submit your official entry form to the manager on duty.  (You will not submit a sample of the wine.)

Don’t wait until the end of the month - reservations are limited! And remember, COVID-19 mitigation measures are in effect, so all seating is outdoors, by reservation only. Read our Service Advisory.  

The Bending Branch winemaking team will recreate all submissions in February, when owner and winemaker Dr. Bob Young, and General Manager Jennifer McInnis will judge the entries. Winners will be announced at a virtual live celebration on Zoom at 4 p.m., Saturday, March 6. Winning teams will enjoy a creative Winner Dinner experience, to be determined at a later date depending on pandemic protocols.

Blending Experience FAQs

May I enter the competition by myself, or must I have a team?

A team must be from 2 to 8 members.

May I have more than 8 people on my team?

Eight is the maximum team size.

Can a team include non-member guests?

All Blending Experience participants must be 1840 Club or 1840 Custom Case Club members. No exceptions. A non-member can join the club today for a minimum of one year membership and participate.

May I be a member of more than one team?

Each club member may only participate once, on a single team.

May we have the Blending Experience at the members lounge?

Yes, the Blending Experience is available by reservation at both the estate tasting room and the members lounge.

What if there are no reservations available when I can attend?

Plan ahead! Reservations are limited and end on January 31, 2021.

What if I cannot come to the winery during the month of January? Can you ship the wines to me?

All blending entries must be done in person, by reservation, at Bending Branch Winery. No exceptions. 

Is there a charge for the Blending Experience?

The Blending Experience is complimentary for 1840 Club members and 1840 Custom Case Club members. The Blending Experience is the member’s complimentary tasting/glass for this visit.

Do I have to be present at the virtual live celebration to win?

Entries will be judged in a blind tasting, and winners need not be present to win. But you won’t want to miss the celebration 4 P.M., Saturday, March 6, 2021, on Zoom.

2018 Tannat Rosé Release

Our 2018 Tannat Rosé sourced from Tallent Vineyards in Mason was awarded Best In Show Dry Rosé at the Great American International Wine Competition in Rochester, New York last month.

We will officially release this wine on Saturday, June 22nd. Join us from 1 to 5 p.m. for a special release party at Bending Branch Winery. Meet and mingle with owner Dr. Bob Young and Hill Country grape grower Drew Tallent and hear a short presentation about the vineyard and the wine at 1:30 p.m. Come on out and taste this amazing Hill Country rosé! German Imbiss food truck will be onsite all day.

90 Point rating from C.S. Vin:

“Medium bodied at 13% alcohol, this rosé will satisfy even the bold tastes of a drinker who craves power but is willing to go a little lighter to sample Tannat’s more refined flavors, too. Bending Branch has added to its flagship grape a version all will love when heat demands refreshment, but a wine whose bold taste won’t give up its demands.”

Read the full review here from Experiencing Wine.

Bending Branch Winery Estate Picpoul Blanc Release

9th Annual Derby Extravaganza

Something special happens at Bending Branch Winery the first Saturday of every May. Join us as we celebrate Dr. Bob and Brenda Young’s Kentucky roots at the 9th Annual Derby Extravaganza on Saturday, May 4th. Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon at the beautiful Bending Branch Estate with live jazz, food, wine, hats, horses, and our famous Single Barrel Picpoul Blanc mint juleps. Tickets are on sale now! See full details at Eventbrite.