2014 Dirty & Rowdy Family Winery Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard Mourvèdre

Dirty & Rowdy Family Winery is one of the new California “garagiste” winemaking ventures with a 21st century attitude. Its founders are two youthful couples who make small-batch, so-called “natural wines” with lower alcohol content. Their wines are single vineyard bottlings of grapes that fall outside of the usual California Cabernet Sauvignon-and-Chardonnay model. Dirty & Rowdy’s first fame, for instance, has been with Mourvèdre. The winery has also made Sémillion, Melon and Petite Sirah. Grapes are sourced from Santa Barbara to Mendocino County, and the wine is made in a leased space in Santa Rosa. The exuberantly named Dirty & Rowdy was founded in 2010 by Hardy Wallace and Matt Richardson, who have backgrounds in winemaking and blogging about food and wine. In its short history, Dirty & Rowdy has attained a kind of cult status. Though its wines are released at prices far below California’s “Cult Cabs” and other allocation-only wines, Dirty & Rowdy wines nevertheless sell out and earn favorable reviews. In a typical review, Wine Spectator praised one Dirty & Rowdy wine for showing “lots of personality in a restrained style.”

Santa Barbara County is not an AVA, but a region just south of San Luis Obispo that includes the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley appellations. Wine has been produced in the area since the 18th century when Spanish missionaries planted vineyards. It wasn’t until the 1990s, however, that producers focused on growing premier grapes for fine wines. During the 1990s more than 10,000 acres of vineyards were planted, and today there are nearly 20,000 acres of vineyards. The region received a big bump in recognition and prestige when the popular film “Sideways” was shot there in 2004. Because the region is affected by maritime weather, it is relatively cool climate makes it ideal for Chardonnay. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and an increasingly adventuresome number of varietals are also grown successfully in Santa Barbara County.

Fans of Cabernet Sauvignon appreciate Mourvèdre. It’s a full-bodied Spanish native. It is grown prominently in Bandol, France, Paso Robles, CA and many other regions. It is often blended with Grenache and Syrah and can be used to make rosé and port-style wines.