Crushing It for 25 Years at Ursa

Ursa Winemakers and Founders Deborah Elissagaray and Greg Stokes in 2001

This year, we are celebrating Ursa's 25th harvest season.
Thank you to Deborah Elissagaray for writing this blog post. 

Let me take you back to a time before Netflix, a time before Facebook, Instagram, and Uber. The advent of Apple’s first iPhone was still seven years in the future. It was 2001, Ursa Vineyards’ first vintage. We crushed Shell Creek Petite Sirah and Silvaspoons Tannat, two varieties and vineyards that have played an integral part in the history of our winery. 

Thinking back, we can’t be sure why we did it. Why did we leave perfectly good jobs at successful wineries? Why leave the temperate clime of the California coast? What I do remember is being excited, about making good wine and sharing it with others. We were newly in love and thrilled with our future plans. We felt brave making the lifestyle choices of living on our acreage and running our own business. And for years it worked. We had a bustling tasting room, a robust wholesale market and a small but loyal wineclub. Our kids worked with us at different times, their lives permitting. Our world felt satisfying. Our trajectory seemed written in the very constellation that was our logo at the time. Things changed after the recession of 2008. People stopped buying luxury items such as boutique wines. Many small wineries suffered and eventually closed. We pivoted our business focus to custom crush and consultation. We had honest talks over glasses of wine about what we wanted out of life and what we truly valued. It was at this time that we met Dr. Bob and his family. As our professional relationship deepened, it seemed the most natural next step to become part of the Bending Branch collective.

Over the past 25 years we’ve watched the area change. We were the 30th winery in El Dorado county. Now there’s between 70 and 100. We’ve seen golden hills transform into jagged terraces of starter castles. We’ve watched kids grow and welcomed grandchildren. We’ve raised countless cows and chickens, ranch dogs and faux-feral cats. We’ve gotten older and more philosophical regarding just about everything. Our son, Kyle, is now managing the production at Ursa, alongside his father. He shows the same love of winemaking and talent for blending.  Ursa Vineyards has been more than a business. She’s been a constant for us. We’re proud of what we’ve created and what she’s become. It’s been a pleasure to participate in her second act as part of the Bending Branch family. Happy Birthday, Ursa. And thank you.

Feeling those 2001 vibes

Greg is using a lantern because for a few years we did not have electricity and ran essentials off a generator.  

We used that tiny press for everything until we upgraded.  

The picture of Kyle is from when he and Greg built our tasting room bar.  He was 14 and actually came up with the design.

Deborah Elissagaray

Jul 23, 2026 at 12:00 PM Permalink