SF Chronicle Article: Dirty & Rowdy Tragedies in 2017

Ms Mobley of the SF Chronicle wrote a very touching article about the incredible obstacles (personal and business-related) faced by the Wallaces during the 2017 vintage…



SF Chronicle
“Dirty & Rowdy’s Unfamiliar Mourvedre is a Wine that Reflects a Family’s Tragedy — and Attempts to Heal It”

by Esther Mobley
March 25, 2019


"…The 2017 Unfamiliar Mourvedre is better than ‘drinkable’: It’s a pretty wine, with herbal and floral tones and a hit of black tea on the finish. While it lacks the exuberance of some of Wallace’s other wines, it still has character. At $23 a bottle, I’d happily drink it. (Another 2017 Unfamiliar wine, a Petite Sirah, will be released in the fall.)

"As painful as it is to remember the events of 2017, Wallace is making sense of it as only a winemaker can. Wine tells the story of a time and place, for better or worse. In its own way, the Unfamiliar represents the journey that he and his family endured in that year, from disaster-struck bewilderment to hardened acceptance.

“‘There’s something of Angus in this wine,’ Wallace says."

Thanks for that link, Drew. A real story of courage.
Tom

Wow. Had no idea.

I didn’t either! If I had known, I would’ve purchased the Mourvedre. I’m going to on the lookout for the Unfamiliar Petite Sirah when it’s released.

Thank you Drew, Tom, Markus, and Larry-

The past 18 months have been difficult. I’m grateful to Esther for taking the time to write this story and incredibly thankful for the support we have been given by our customers, people on the board, our growers, other wineries, and those in the trade. We wouldn’t have survived without you.

We are still not in the clear, but there is a light in the distance and we can’t wait to get there.

Thank you,
Hardy

Hardy, it would have been easy to pack up in the face of any one of those challenges, much less all of them. Kudos to you for overcoming (or at least dealing with) them.

Wow, Hardy, I wish you and your family all the best as you continue to move forward from such a tragic and difficult year. I enjoyed a few glasses of the '17 Unfamiliar at the Bancroft in Peabody this past summer/fall (after drinking my whole stash soon after delivery); can’t believe the backstory behind it. btw, the Bancroft waitstaff was happy to know the North Shore origins of the winemaker!

Wow, quite a story, incredible fortitude. Makes me wanna buy some more juicy Mourvedre!

Goodness. I recall that you, Hardy, mentioned temporary blindness (without saying who suffered it) and wondered what had happened, but had no idea of the full story.

So sorry you had to go through all that, and hope that the light grows ever brighter. Your courage and perseverance should be a lesson for all of us.

I really enjoyed the Unfamiliar, so there is another bit of evidence for some positives coming out of all this.

What a tragic story. I’m sorry anyone had to go through that.
My expectations for the Unfamiliar were low, because as I recall the offer letter was upfront about the challenges and made no claims to its deliciousness.
I finished my last of a few this month and it was the best yet, and a really nice wine. Not sure if that’s the site quality or chemistry (or both) but a really enjoyable bottle.

Hardy, condolences for your loss and best wishes for your eye. I had shingles on my right eyelid and the doctor put the fear of God in me about making sure I did everything possible to make sure it didn’t spread into my eyeball. Thankfully it did not. The eyelid was painful enough, can’t imagine the eyeball.

I’ve only had the Unfamiliar so I can’t wait to get my shipment of Familiar and pop one. Might be my first Pobega!

Wow, Hardy, condolences on your loss and much respect for persevering.

Having cared for more than my share of people with shingles affecting the eye (herpes zoster ophthalmicus), I really sympathize. It is extremely painful and carries a significant risk of permanent visual loss. The pain can last months or years.

I’ll take the opportunity of Hardy’s misfortune to highlight 2 ways that the risk of shingles in the eye can be reduced.

First, the shingles vaccine. If you’re over 50, talk to your doctor about getting it. Your immunity from having had chicken pox (the same virus that causes shingles, herpes zoster) or the chicken pox vaccine as a child is waning, and you are susceptible. The risk increases the older you get. If you have no contraindications, get the vaccine. It’s not 100% effective but the risk of serious side effects is very low. Even if you do get shingles, the course of the disease is likely to be much less severe in those who have been vaccinated.
https://www.aao.org/clinical-statement/recommendations-herpes-zoster-vaccine-patients-50-#

Second, if you have a tingling sensation that starts to become painful in your forehead or scalp on one side of your head, if it persists for a couple of days or any red rash starts to appear, see a doctor right away. Starting oral antivirals within 3 days of the appearance of a rash markedly reduces the risk of vision loss.

Hardy, I hope you continue to improve.

Thank you, Jason.

Mary- Thank you. So happy you had the wines at the Bancroft! Kate Webber (who owns the restaurant group) is a huge supporter. We love having the wines on the N. Shore!

Thanks, Robert! More Mourvèdre is what we specialize in :slight_smile:

Thank you, Peter.

Dave- Thank you. I did a winemaker dinner last spring at Racines in NYC. It was a big night, and Pascaline (the somm) had me pour the Unfamiliar as the last wine (normally where I’d stick an old vine Mourvèdre or Maple’s). I protested at first and she wouldn’t budge- She said the wine was so good (even after everything it went through) due to the quality of the sites. Though not our “best” wine, in so many ways, it belongs in that slot.

Thank you, Joshua. Sorry to hear about your shingles experience. It is no fun. I highly recommend a Pobega w/ the Familiar Mourvèdre. I would still decant it 30-45, but take it straight off the truck. It will improve for sure, but it is in a crazy delicious place right now.

David, thank you. Yes, that is it. I have never had physical pain like it in my life. I am under 50, but I need to press my dr. for the vaccine. I have had shingles 3x under 45 (23, 40, 45). Thank you for the link and the comment.

Virtual hugs to you and your family Hardy…Geez…My condolences

My condolences Hardy! Good Lord it’s hard to lose a loved one. My thoughts are with you and your family!

Holy shit Hardy - I’m so sorry about Angus.

And really glad to hear your sight is better - reading the story I thought it was a permanent loss. I don’t post a lot of TNs but I have had plenty of your wines and highly recommend them. I hope this is a better year for you. Looking forward to many more wonderful interesting wines.

And I wouldn’t say the wines weren’t “manipulated”. We have technology for exactly these types of events. All the best.

We’ve used multiple D&R Mourvedres as my still red BTG pour at my bubbly bar (one just went on tonight) and they have been wildly popular with staff and guests. We used Unfamilar a few times this Winter, and I just shared this story with my staff as an example of why its best to never be too rigid in wine dogma, because there are real people struggling to make wine and a living at the same time, and that’s the most important thing.

My god, Hardy. I had no idea. Amazing perseverance on your part. Personally, I’m just not sure I could have made it through all of that, but also being the father of two young girls, hopefully I would have.

A real testament to your grit and spirit. I’m going to talk to Kellogg about a BTG special on Unfamiliar.

Cheers to you Hardy! Glad to hear you are getting back to being a headlight on a northbound train!

That 2015 Rosewood Petite Sirah last night was a real winner - total study in contrasts.

Hardy is one heck of a winemaker, as honest and forthcoming with knowledge and information about wine and vineyards as one can be. And Hardy’s bond with his family is beautiful to see,

So happy to see the medical issues in the rear view mirror.

Tom