About Benom
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Benom is the phonetic translation of the French word binôme, which translates to “a project together.”
They are brothers, they are French, and for them making wine is a heritage.
Arnaud and Guillaume Fabre moved to California for Love. For Guillaume, it was his love of winemaking and farming without limit(s) that brought him to Paso Robles.
A love that saw him making wine for one of the most prestigious wineries in Paso Robles, L’Aventure. This passion eventually led him to start his own brand of immaculate wine, Clos Solene.
Arnaud’s story is much more like that of a movie scene. His move to California was to follow the love of his life, Chloe. This is how the two brothers -Les Deux Frères Fabre- ended up in Paso Robles. The story gets far more interesting, but you will have to come find out for yourself!
A tribute to the extensive Fabre legacy in both the Languedoc-Roussillon and Bordeaux regions; as multi-generational stewards, farmers and winemakers from birth; the essence of everything Benom, is the utmost quality and infinite expression of what the central coast of California has to offer in harmony with the innate skilled craft of the Fabre bloodline.
Just as the brothers work perfectly together, so does their team.
Each member plays a vital role in the Benom Family to create a perfect synergy.
Arnaud was born in Languedoc Roussillon, like his brother Guillaume. Then raised in Bordeaux, Arnaud was born into a family where all members were dedicated winegrowers and winemakers. Though Arnaud had interest in the family business of growing grapes and making wine, he saw himself interested in the business and sales side of the wine industry. Arnaud began school at INSEEC University of Bordeaux, where he graduated.
Looking for adventure with his brother Guillaume Fabre, he traveled to the United States to explore the production side of wines, which is when and where he met Chloe Asseo from L’Aventure. With his brother Guillaume at the helm of the cellar and Arnaud marketing the brand, the two of them created a label together in 2015. Then, in September 2017, Benom first opened its doors.
Guillaume comes from a family of grape growers and winemakers. After 24 years in Narbonne, he moved to Bordeaux. Both regions famous for their wines, but are also very different from each other.
It requires some grape growing and winemaking experience to switch from one to the other, such as different climates, soil types, regulation and more.
But life is full of surprises, and Guillaume was not convinced he wanted to make wine for his family’s estate in Bordeaux, so he took a harvest internship at L’Aventure in Paso Robles. The same bolt of lightning that he felt for Solène, struck again. He fell in love with the soil and terroir of Paso Robles. What was supposed to be a 3-month harvest internship, turned into 6 months, and he was offered the position of Assistant Winemaker. While working for L’Aventure, he worked day and night on his own project – to launch his very own brand. In 2007, Clos Solène was born.
Maxime grew up in Paris but after moving to several countries and cities moved to Boston to attend Tufts University & the School of the Museum of fine Arts, Boston.
After several years he took over the wine program at La Voile Restaurant and quickly discovered his love for great food and fine wine. This would be the spark that would lead him back to France to open his own restaurant in the heart of the Alps, in Chamonix. Of all places, this is where he started to discover and appreciate the Central California style of wines which led him to the heart of California, in Paso Robles.
Living in the alps, he started sports and landscape photography and production company. This passion for the visual arts and for wine & winemaking has led to an ongoing visual exploration of what the Fabre Brothers have built.
Aubrey grew up in Orange County, California and moved to the Central Coast to study Agricultural Business at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She fell in love with the wine industry while attending University of Adelaide in South Australia where she focused her studies on international wine marketing.
After working at another Paso winery for close to two years, she moved to the East Coast to work for a non-profit film company as an international recording technician. Aubrey spent three and a half years traveling the world and working with people groups from the most remote countries. Although the job was adventurous, she missed the wine industry and the Central Coast, so in February of 2022 she joined the Benom team after reconnecting with Arnaud during a virtual tasting.
Arnaud Fabre, Benom co-owner, founded Procure Wines in 2015 to find and share some of the most unique and rare wines in the world, with an emphasis on European wines. He has worked in the wine industry for over ten years, and has built relationships with many producers and negotiants and shares their passion for amazing wines. Arnaud wanted to import a variety of wines, from hidden gems to winemakers with a cult following, so that all consumers could discover their great find.
Guillaume, Benom co-owner, and Solène Fabre chased adventure in moving to Paso Robles and starting a winery together. He had promised that if She moved with him, he would name his vineyard after her. A promise he fulfilled when they started Clos Solène in 2007. With French roots and expressive Paso fruit, their wines are inspired by passion and love.
Lovingly referred to as the Godfather of French wine in Paso Robles, Stephan Asseo is an inspiration, a mentor, and a wonderful Grandpa. Stephan was the first of the French Mafia to establish Paso as his home, and it was under him that Benom's co-owner, Guillaume Fabre learned about the terroir on the central coast. Guillaume worked as an assistant winemaker to Stephan while making his own wine on the side. Today, Stephan’s daughter, Chloe, who married Benom co-owner Arnaud Fabre, has followed in her father’s footsteps and now helps run the renowned, family winery.
Les Petites Canailles translates to English as “the little rascals,” which represents the 3 children of the restaurant owners, Julien and Courtney Asseo. In 2019 Julien, Arnaud Fabre's brother-in-law, opened Les Petites Cannailles (LPC) a French restaurant making innovative and deliciously unique dishes while boasting an impressive wine list with multiple pages of family made wines.
Located in the historic Saint Emilion of Bordeaux, Château La Rose Monturon is owned and operated by Stephane and Myriam Dubes, Benom co-owner Arnaud's wife, Chloe Fabre's uncle and aunt on her mom, Beatrice's side. The winery, which was started in 2005, focuses on pleasurable, terroir driven wines.
Nicolas Fabre, Benom owners Arnaud and Guillaume's brother, is the head winemaker at Château Corbin, creating wines that are the fruit of true luxury and craftsmanship. Carefully tended vines, a meticulous selection of the grape bunches, and slow barrel aging are prerequisites in the Corbin method to ensure longevity in its wines. Each vintage is a journey of its own, in which the senses travel to and fro between elegance and complexity.