Yannick Benjamin

is a New York City-based sommelier, both the co-founder of Contento Restaurant in East Harlem and Beaupierre Wines & Spirits in Hell's Kitchen. Beaupierre is a family business led by born-and-raised Hell's Kitchen natives of French origins. Unlike other NYC-based wine shops, Beaupierre is a place of family-oriented values, but also a space of community where inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability reign king. He is also a co-founder and director of development for Wine on Wheels -- our organization of wine lovers and sommeliers who have come together to harness their love of great wines to benefit charity. In 2003, a car accident left Benjamin paralyzed, but he pursued his dreams to attend college and become a sommelier. Having worked in his early years at Le Cirque, Jean-Georges, Felidia and Atelier at the Ritz Carlton, Benjamin and partners opened Contento with the ethos and tagline “accessible for all.” It is a stunning example of quality hospitality designed with a broadly inclusive approach.

Yannick has been recognized among Wine Enthusiast's Top 40 under 40 and was named Person of the Year by New Mobility Magazine in 2017. He was the resident sommelier on the hit radio show “On The Town with Michael Riedel” on AM 970 The Answer, and has made multiple appearances on ABC, NBC, and CBS. In 2015, Yannick starred in “Uncorked,” a documentary series featuring sommeliers on Esquire TV. Jancis Robinson of the Financial Times calls Benjamin “the new star of New York's gastronomic firmament,” and The Wine Spectator talks about Benjamin revealing a “kinder, gentler side of the profession.” The story of Yannick's journey and the success of Wheeling Forward have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Village Voice, Wine Spectator, Financial Times, and Forbes. He was recognized by the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards as Sommelier/ Wine Director of The Year for 2021.