History
Mourvèdre is native to Spain, where it is generally known as Monastrell. In Spain, Mourvèdre, at 41,278 ha/102,000 acres planted, comes second only to Grenache (Garnacha). At present, Spain accounts for approximately 80% of Mourvèdre plantings worldwide. Originating in the Spanish town of Morvedre (now renamed Segunto) near Valencia, Mourvèdre was brought to Provence in the late Middle Ages, where it became the dominant variety, prior to phylloxera at the end of the 19th century.
Mourvèdre Timeline
Mourvèdre was introduced in California’s Santa Clara Valley by Louis and Pierre Pellier via the “Pellier collection,” a consignment of stock from France.
Mourvèdre included in Zinfandel vineyards on the North Coast as part of field blends. Vineyards were being planted in Contra Costa about that time and referred to, throughout most of the state, as Mataro.
Mataro was among the more popular varieties in Riverside and San Bernardino until the urbanization of those areas beginning in the 1950s.
Tablas Creek winery, widely considered an epicenter of plant material for many Rhône grape varieties in California, grafts over their own sourced vines from Château Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape after quarantining and heat-treating those original cuttings.
Mourvèdre plantings account for 472 ha/1,166 acres in California.
2021: Mourvèdre plantings stood at 1,207 ha/488 acres (459 ha/1,135 acres bearing and 29 ha/72 acres non-bearing) through year-end 2021, representing 0.26% of total vineyard plantings of all California wine grapes.