Hardy Wallace built a living in technology sales and wine blogging in Atlanta before ditching the laptop in 2010 to devote himself to the cellar. That year he made wine for the first time and Dirty and Rowdy Family Winery was born. He has since become a charismatic, cult figure in California natural wine, best known for his mastery of Mourvedre.
Backstory
Dirty and Rowdy was co-founded by Hardy Wallace and his partner Kate Graham along with Atlanta-based friends Matt and Amy Richardson. The winery is based in California, with roots in Napa and Santa Rosa.
The Region
The wines draw on distinctive California sites. A signature Mourvedre comes from century-old, dry-farmed, own-rooted vines on decomposed limestone and granite in the Lime Kiln Valley AVA of San Benito County.
Vineyards and Farming
Dirty and Rowdy works with organically and dry-farmed vineyards, focusing on Southern French varieties, most notably Mourvedre and Semillon.
Winemaking
All fermentations are spontaneous with native yeasts, never cultured or commercial strains. The approach is firmly minimal-intervention, avoiding added acid, nutrients, and water, with whole clusters used in the red fermentations.
The Wines
The portfolio centers on site-specific Mourvedre bottlings alongside skin-contact and white wines such as Semillon, each meant to express its vineyard.
