Paso Robles Winery Pioneer Doug Beckett Turns Another Corner for Peachy Canyon After 24 Years

PASO ROBLES, Calif., June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Doug Beckett, a pioneer in Zinfandel for Paso Robles, steps on the throttle with his Peachy Canyon winery. In 1988, after he founded the 10th winery in Paso Robles (now 260), Beckett has seen multiple financial crises, two heavy recessions, the rise and fall of many wineries and at age 66, he is just getting started.  "Retire and do what?" says Beckett as he reflects on the new forward momentum of Peachy Canyon Winery, maker of Incredible Red and their estate-grown Westside Zinfandels.

Peachy Canyon is one of the few remaining family-owned and -operated Zinfandel houses in California. "We have so much going for us right now. Josh, my son and winemaker, is finally getting the accolades he deserves and Jake, my other son and our grower, is seeing to it that we remain SIP certified (Sustainable in Practice). In key U.S. markets we have reestablished our relationships with our distributors and their depletions of Peachy Canyon wines are up sharply as well. Who would retire now?" asks Beckett.

"The recent story of the Beckett family, their foresight and willingness to adjust to change in the marketplace is the primary driver for this newfound success. They have also not forgotten their pioneering roots in Paso Robles. To me, this type of ethic is a lesson of intestinal fortitude that we all can learn," says Jason Shorrock, owner of J.M. Shorrock & Co., the sales and marketing organization the Becketts have recently hired to head up their expansion in the U.S. wholesale trade. "This winery is enjoying a forward growth pattern that is shown by each business unit. It is quite a sight in these times of large corporations sharing most of the upward momentum," Shorrock says.

Peachy Canyon, a former Wine Spectator Top 100 wine, has enjoyed recent success by "making great value wine for the consumer and working our tails off," Beckett remarks. "We have seen our company through a great many challenges while some of our competitors and neighbors have, unfortunately, fallen victim to hard times and either sold or closed."

When asked how they did it, Beckett explains, "The downturn in the economy left a host of wineries scrambling to make ends meet. Their bottom line wouldn't allow for them to adjust to meet price demand." Many analysts said that flat sales numbers had become the new reality instead of growth.  At Peachy Canyon, that hasn't been the case. Peachy Canyon vowed to never cut quality or devalue the knowledge of their employees. Instead of throwing in the towel, they pitched in with new ideas and expert know-how. The result? Peachy Canyon grew while many of their contemporaries remained stagnant or just simply faded away.

When asked about Paso Robles and how it has changed over the years, Beckett adds, "When Nancy and I got here in 1981, all there was to do for me was hammer nails and refurbish old barns. Who would have thought that after 30 years in Paso, I stand here amongst 260 wineries as pioneer in making Zinfandel? We have always been a standout and hope to lead the future with Peachy Canyon."

Contact: 
J.M. Shorrock & Co. 
www.jmshorrock.com
[email protected]
1-866-557-0984

About Peachy Canyon:

Peachy Canyon is a family-owned and -operated winery on the West side of Paso Robles, Calif. They are producers of premium and ultra-premium Zinfandels, Petite Sirah and Red Blends from their estate vineyard holdings of approx 100 acres.  Peachy Canyon's tasting room is located on the famous highway 46 West in Templeton, Calif. You can visit their blog at tastespeachy.com or visit them to shop online at www.peachycanyon.com.

About J.M.Shorrock & Co.:

J.M. Shorrock & Co. is a sales and marketing organization that specializes in route to market navigation for wineries in the U.S. 3-Tier system. It is the current National Marketing and Sales firm for Peachy Canyon and Cirque du Vin Wineries. 

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SOURCE J.M. Shorrock & Co.