Dirty & Rowdy Family Winery

Dirty & Rowdy Family Winery is a California-based winery known for its focus on minimal-intervention winemaking and a philosophy centered on letting the vineyard's unique character shine. They are particularly recognized for their work with Southern French grape varieties, most notably Mourvèdre and Sémillon.

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Winemaking Philosophy

Dirty & Rowdy's core philosophy is to create wines that are a pure and honest reflection of their terroir. The winemakers, Hardy Wallace and Matt Richardson, follow a "hands-off" approach, which they believe allows the energy and purity of the individual vineyard sites to be expressed in the finished wine. This means questioning conventional winemaking practices and embracing old-school techniques.

Vineyard Sourcing and Farming

• Vineyard Partners: The winery does not own vineyards but works closely with a network of small, independent growers across California.

• Geographic Diversity: Grapes are sourced from a wide range of terroirs, including notable regions like the Sierra Foothills (Shake Ridge Ranch), Monterey, Mendocino, and Contra Costa County (Evangelho Vineyard).

• Vineyard Management: Dirty & Rowdy prioritizes working with vineyards that are farmed organically or sustainably. They believe this is crucial for both environmental reasons and for their winemaking style, which relies on high-quality, healthy fruit.

• Old Vines: They have a particular interest in working with old and historic vineyards, believing these sites offer unique character and depth to the wines.

Winemaking Techniques

• Native Yeast Fermentation: All fermentations are spontaneous, relying solely on the native yeasts present on the grapes and in the winery. No cultured or commercial yeasts are used.

• Minimal Intervention: The goal is to do as little as possible to the grapes once they arrive at the winery. This includes avoiding the use of additives, such as acid, nutrients, or water.

• Whole Cluster Fermentation: For their red wines, a significant amount of whole clusters (grapes with their stems) are used during fermentation. This technique adds structure, spice, and complexity.

• Foot-Treading: Grapes are often crushed by foot, a gentle method that prevents over-extraction of harsh tannins.

• Neutral Vessels: The wines are aged in neutral vessels to prevent any oak flavor from masking the fruit and terroir. This includes using old, neutral French oak barrels, as well as concrete eggs and tanks. The concrete eggs, in particular, are favored for the gentle, rolling action they provide during fermentation.

• No Fining or Filtering: Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve their natural texture, aromas, and flavors.

• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): The use of sulfur is kept to a minimum. SO2 is typically only used in judicious amounts just before bottling to ensure the wine's stability and longevity. Some wines are produced with no added sulfur.

• Varietal Focus: The winery is best known for its dedication to Mourvèdre and Sémillon, making some of California's purest and most sought-after examples of these grapes. They also work with other varieties, including Petite Sirah and Chenin Blanc.