L’Aventure is a 127-acre estate in Paso Robles. It was established in 1996 by Stephan Asseo, a native of France who studied oenology in Burgundy and later started estates in Bordeaux. He started his winery on the central California Coast in order to be more innovative with blends than the strict French AOC regulations allowed. L’Aventure’s first commercial vintages were in the late 1990s. Flagship wines include Optimus and Estate Cuvee, both of which are Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blends. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “Asseo continues to go from strength to strength, producing a fabulous portfolio of wines that makes L’Aventure one of the bright, shining reference points for the region. This is one of the California Central Coast superstars…”