I’ve been going to Calcareous since 2012 and it’s always a regular stop on my way down to Santa Barbara from SF.
It’s been sometime since I last visited (2019, pre pandemic) and just haven’t had a chance to come back since.
Pros:
Service was always good here, and I’m glad to say it’s remained so. Our staff were super helpful and accommodating. The pours were generous and the experience was great.
The setting / tasting room and its panoramic view of Paso is amazing. It’s tucked away from everything else making it a quiet retreat from a busy town, and a nice diversion without too much travel up the hillside from 101.
The flight poured today was decent. Four wines, three reds and one white, with an off menu bonus pour courtesy of the staff. It matches the caliber and quality I’ve come to expect from this winery. (Not having any of the Lily Blanc or Tres Violets on the flight was a misstep though, I felt; more on that later)
Unfortunately that’s where it ends for me.
The cons:
The tasting flight has doubled from $15 to $30 since the last time I was there in 2019. The number of pours remains the same.
I was shocked at this, but I assumed the benefit of the doubt given my prior years experience coming here.
Sadly, I don’t feel like the flight cost matched what was being poured that day.
The Lily Blanc and Tres Violets have always been standouts to me at this winery. Not having them on the menu this go around made the experience a little hollow. The server said it was due to them having sold out, and for that I’m happy; but what was put on the tasting menu didn’t really excite or get me wanting to walk away with a bottle.
In addition, the atmosphere has changed. What used to be a vibrant and chatty experience for me instead became one that was sterile, stiff, and perfunctory. The pours were fine, the staff were fine, but the salesmanship and experience connecting it all together fell flat. I don’t fault the staff for this at all; rather I attribute this to the culture shift that’s happened since my last visit.
Finally, and this is really just a personal thing, but the “no outside food” irked me.
It’s their prerogative not to allow outside food, and I don’t fault them for it. But it certainly has made me question whether it’s worth it to come back again.
My fondest memories of my numerous visits from 2012-2019 were getting to bring a delicious picnic with a variety of foods and cured meats to pair and have fun with the flight. We often ended up purchasing a glass or two on top of it all. I can assure you I felt no compulsion to do so on this most recent visit.
What the new Calcareous has done is completely commercialized the experience. We paid and tipped our staff, but I think it’s safe to say those will be the last dollars I spend at this winery for the...
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