L'Aventure, or Stephan Vineyards, is a California wine estate producing red wine blends of the Bordeaux and Rhône grape varieties. The winery is located southwest of Paso Robles, California, along the Pacific Coast in the Santa Lucia Mountain range.
| L'Aventure | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Paso Robles, California, USA |
| Appellation | Paso Robles AVA |
| Founded | 1998 |
| First vintage | 1998 |
| Key people | Stephan Asseo, winemaker |
| Cases/yr | 7,500 |
| Known for | L'Aventure Optimus L'Aventure Estate Cuvée L'Aventure Côte à Côte |
| Other products | Rosé, Red Blends, White Blend |
| Tasting | Tasting available by appointment only - 7 days a week; schedule reservation online at www.aventurewine.com. Contact winery directly regarding reservations for groups of 8 or more |
| Website | www.aventurewine.com |
History
editStephan Asseo settled in Paso Robles due to its similarities in terroir to the Rhône Valley, founding L'Aventure in 1998.[1][2]
Following a vision of "Bordeaux meets Rhône in Paso Robles",[3] consistent acclaim and high scores by Robert M. Parker, Jr.[4][5] have caused sales of L'Aventure wines to rise considerably,[6] and the estate has been informally termed a "Grand Cru of Paso Robles".[7]
Asseo was selected as 2007 Winemaker of the Year of San Luis Obispo County.[8] In 2007 he also appeared in the second series of Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure.
Production
editThe vineyard area extends 127 acres (51 ha), cultivated with grape varieties of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 15% Petit Verdot and 15% Mourvèdre as well as portions of Grenache, Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache blanc.
Among the wines produced are the "Paso blends" L'Aventure Optimus and Estate Cuvée, the "Rhône blend" L'Aventure Côte à Côte, and a rosé. The varietal wines produced are Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Roussanne, and previously Chardonnay and Zinfandel. On average 7,500 cases are produced annually.[9]
References
edit- ^ Farnham, Alan, Forbes.com (January 20, 2003). "The Next Napa". Forbes.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Fish, Tim, Wine Spectator (September 28, 2006). "Harvest Q&A: California's Paso Robles".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[permanent dead link] - ^ Stevenson, Tom (2005). The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia (4th ed.). London: Dorling Kindersley. pp. 501. ISBN 0-7566-1324-8.
- ^ Parker, Robert M. Jr. (2008). Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide. Simon and Schuster. pp. 1118–1119. ISBN 978-0-7432-7198-1.
- ^ Parker, Robert M. Jr., BusinessWeek (October 29, 2007). "A California Superstar with Roots in Bordeaux". Archived from the original on October 23, 2007.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Karim, Ermina, Wall Street Journal (October 29, 2007). "Big Numbers, Bright Lights" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[permanent dead link] - ^ Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. "L'Aventure - Profile".
- ^ Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (July 24, 2007). "Press: San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Awards Announced". Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
- ^ thewinetaster.com. "San Luis Obispo County".