Heading northwest off Highway 46 West you amble down Live Oak Road till you reach its end-- and the beginning of the L’Aventure. Estate grown Rhone and renegade Bordeaux/Rhone blends are produced here and worth the effort to find.
Against the backdrop of an idyllic country vineyard setting is the occasional palm tree that the owner has placed around the property to remind him of his days in the Polynesian Islands. Today this transplanted Frenchman is an innovator bringing his experience in grape growing and his creativity in wine production to make exceptional highly sought after wines.
The “Salon” is their small intimate tasting room built into the back corner of the winery. There are a few outside tables to enjoy the environment and inside is a butcher block tasting counter presided over by qualified winery staff who emphasize the philosophies of the winemaker as you are guided through the tasting experience. The emphasis is clearly on the wine as there is no boutique items for sale—only wine—if they haven’t sold out.
After nearly two decades in the wine industry in France, where his leadership at a number of Bordeaux properties brought him accolades and acclaim, Stephan Asseo ventured out to find a new property to work unfettered from the strict wine making regulations of his home country. After searching in the vineyards of Chile, South Africa, and Northern California he found the right combination of calcareous soils, topography, and climate on the west side of Paso Robles. He planted a vineyard in the European fashion of closely pruned and tightly planted vines averaging 2100 vines per acre to create his wines.
