Away from the rest of the world 

Calcareous (which means limestone in Latin) Vineyard first opened in 2000, the dream of Lloyd Messer, whose boots are bronzed and perched in front of this elegant and rustic winery. There is a bocce-ball campo, neighbor dogs roaming and napping, and (among many other varietals), an award-winning Cabernet.

• IMAGE COURTESY OF ADAM LICSKO
• JUST PEACHY :

The huge tasting room sits on a hill, with an expansive outdoor seating area. And the view, well, just look at Adam Licsko’s painting to imagine how incredible it really is. No place is more peaceful or quiet. One can’t hear a car, a plane, or anything for that matter. It is eerie and intoxicating simultaneously.

Owner Dana Brown had this to say about Licsko: “His passion was contagious. His excitement for the painting made it exciting for us. We wanted to bring the outside in. Bring the view inside. It is a powerful painting.”

The piece, entitled Calcareous Vista, is an permanent addition to this unique wine-tasting destination. High-quality prints are available for purchase. Created in the last six months, Licsko’s oil painting acts as a bay window for the wine tasters a look into the outer world around them. Thirty-three-year-old Licsko (the son of renowned artist Frank Licsko) sat down with New Times to talk painting, and drink some wine.

New Times Describe your genre.

Adam Licsko Abstracted realism it’s escapist. I paint thin, but it’s in oils. There is not a lot of texture in the paint. The texture is in the trees, in the hills.

New Times Where and how did you start this project?

Licsko I wanted the piece to distill into something that feels like my artistic interpretation. I don’t want a rotating art exhibit, the typical artist experience. This piece is one of a kind. I came up to Calcareous, and did some drawings. I didn’t take a photo. I wanted something that was personally connected—it is crucial to have a personal connection. It was an intense painting to do. I wanted a specific mood, the colors need to match the feeling I had in my mind, and I won’t stop until I get it right.

New Times It’s hot.

Licsko I was conscious of the colors of the bottles, and I wanted the piece to fit into the land, the choreography of what is here. The warmth and the heat. Everything about Paso Robles is heat. Calcareous Vista shows the rising energy at the winery. This piece emotionally and soulfully embodies what Calcareous is.

New Times This is such a departure for the art world. And you’re brave for doing it. Most of the time you see many works at a winery, not just one. And they look nothing like this!

Licsko I came up and got to know the people and hung out, got into the mind frame that is Calcareous. It was serendipitous. I had an instinct about this winery. People kept telling me to do a winery, but I never wanted to. I felt the soul of this place. The passion.

Calcareous Vineyard is located at 3430 Peachy Canyon Road in Paso Robles, a windy four miles from downtown. Adam Licsko’s Calcareous Vista provides a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. Licsko will eventually design the labeling for an upcoming label at the vineyard. Info: www.calcareous.com or 239-0289.

Christy Heron can be reached at [email protected].