CalcareousVineyard

3430 Peachy Canyon Rd., 15-20 minutes from town; (805) 239-0289. Tasting daily 10am-5pm; $30; lunch daily. Reservations advised.

Grenache wine at Calcareous Vineyard in Paso Robles, California

tasting bar at Calcareous Vineyard in Paso Robles, California

It is one of life’s great pleasures to drive down a quiet back road to lunch at a winery. Calcareous Vineyard offers this experience. The name Calcareous refers to the area’s calcareous limestone soil that combines with varied microclimates to allow this winery to produce Bordeaux, Rhone, and Burgundy varietals simultaneously.

two Adirondack chairs overlook view at Calcareous Vineyard
in Paso Robles, California

Located high on a limestone plateau, the winery tasting room--known as Lloyd’s Lookout--offers expansive rural views along with daily food pairings and special events. The best way to taste wine here is to team it up with lunch. The day I visited, I chose a divine fresh burrata with fig compote and a refreshing panzanella salad heavy with heirloom tomatoes and rustic croutons from a menu that also included sandwiches, a burger, and rack of lamb. The meal was informally paired with four wines served one after the other (as opposed to side-by-side).

fresh burrata with fig compote at Calcareous Vineyard in Paso Robles, California

panzanella salad at Calcareous Vineyard in Paso Robles, California

Our knowledgeable wine guide, Josephina Alex, started us off with a light, buttery, and smooth 2022 Vin Gris Cuvee, followed by a pretty and elegant 2021 York Mountain Pinot Noir. Then came a drinkable deep-crimson 2021 Grenache, and finally a velvety 2020 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon with a smooth finish. Alex included an extra wine--a beautiful 2020 Devil’s Canyon Syrah made from grapes grown in long, long rows, which adds to the deliciousness--with our superb dessert of dark chocolate-caramel crème with pistachio crumble and fresh berries.