Page 105 - SLO Visitors Guide Spring 2024
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Wine Tasting
Calcareous Vineyard – The magic of place
On Calcareous’ website, they describe the land simply as a “place.” This is meant to be an
inclusive word defining the soil, micro-climates, terroir, and how they play together producing vines, grapes, and the liquid elixir that winemaker Jason Joyce creates and bottles. Upon arrival at Calcare- ous, you instantly understand this is indeed a special place, which encompasses much more than just terroir.
The space and place
Located at an elevation of 1800 feet, your first impression may simply be: “It takes my breath away.” Throughout Paso Robles, there are few places with vistas like Calcareous. On a clear day, you really can see forever. Sit out on the expansive patio, sip, eat, and become hypnotized by the sprawling view.
Calcareous winemaker Jason Joyce.
When Lloyd and Dana Messner discovered this area almost 25 years ago, they knew
it was special for wine growing. However, they also created a most welcoming area to relax in.
The full-service kitchen, with Executive Chef Benny Derringer at the helm, enables you to en- hance your wine-tasting experi- ence with gourmet food that will please your sense of smell, sight, and taste. On the day I visited, lunch made my salivary glands dance, it was simply exquisite: I was looking forward to the crab cakes (which I had had on a previous visit and dreamt about), but chef changes his menu to fit seasonality and availability, and this time I ordered the duck con- fit cassoulet. I have to admit, give me great crab cakes or duck confit and I’ll be in heaven. The confit fell off the bone and the flavors (with the wines), were just incred- ible. No matter your menu choice, chef ’s foods are a true sensory delight and a perfect complement to the wines.
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