Stephan Asseo, owner and winemaker, began making wine in 1982, following his education at L'Ecole Oenologique de Macon. For the next 15 years, Stephan developed into an artisan winemaker at his family's properties in Bordeaux. With a reputation as a maverick vigneron, his desire was to be more innovative than AOC law would allow, sending him on a quest around the world for new and great terroir. He landed in Paso Robles where the rolling typography of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, the calcareous soils and the maritime influences combined had the potential for truly great blends. They began L'Aventure here in 1998 and began crafting authentic and complex wines from premium varietals.