—Ten acres of newly planted vineyard in the Willow Creek District inspired Josh Beckett and his partner, Gibsey Beckett, to start a new venture, Thibido Winery. Focused on regenerative agricultural practices, this premium handmade wine will ship directly to customers’ doors.
“Planting Thibido Vineyard was the culmination of a lifetime of farming, winemaking and learning along the way,” says Josh Beckett, “I was excited to design and farm this vineyard applying regenerative ag methods in order to improve the quality of the soil for generations to come. Ultimately, our environmentally conscious approach extended beyond the vineyard to become Thibido Winery, influencing how we created wine in the cellar and packaged the product to round out the whole earth friendly approach.”
No stranger to the wine industry, Beckett has been driving tractors and cleaning tanks at Peachy Canyon Winery since he was a teen. A few decades into the family business, Beckett launched the immensely successful Chronic Cellars before selling to WX Brands. Gathering from his experience in the industry over the years, Beckett now turns his attention to the development of Thibido Winery, crafting wines that start in the vineyard.
The estate vineyard boasts multiple clones of Zinfandel, including some own-rooted, as well as five other Rhone varietals that will comprise future releases for Thibido Winery beginning with the 2021 vintage. With old school farming techniques like hand hoeing, organic cover crops and vertical cordon training, Beckett champions the vineyard first and favors a hands-off approach to winemaking. But hands-off doesn’t mean he isn’t adding his own flair to the vinification process in the cellar.
The newly released First Date 2020 is comprised of 100-percent Grenache Blanc fermented in terra cotta amphora offering subtle hints of citrus and stone fruits, leading to a subtle creamy texture. Just Because 2020 is a carbonic fermentation with 100-percent Syrah, resulting in a Nouveau-style wine with undertones of a classic Syrah. These newly released wines are a testament to Beckett’s mastery of winemaking. “And we’re making our winemaking and packaging choices with the same environmental awareness,” says Gibsey Beckett.
The estate vineyard is located on Kiler Canyon Road in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. Thibido Winery will release its first wines this summer.
