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Welcome to episode 2814 of the Italian Wine Podcast and episode 1 of the Italianity series with Jessica Dupuy. In this episode, Jessica is in conversation with Yannick Benjamin, owner of the Beaupierre wine store in NYC, about Italian hospitality and the people who made him feel welcome and inspired his career in wine.
From Lidia Bastianich’s “nonna” treatment to his early days at Le Cirque under Sirio Maccioni, Yannick shares the experiences that shaped his journey. He also discusses changing wine tastes, his discovery of lighter reds, the influence of Stoicism on his work, his connection to Rome and his love for the wines of Valle d’Aosta.
More about the guest:
Yannick Benjamin is a New York City-based sommelier, wine educator and advocate for accessibility in hospitality. He is Director of Wine at the University Club of New York, co-founder of Beaupierre Wines & Spirits and founder of Wine on Wheels, a nonprofit that empowers people with disabilities through community, education and advocacy. He co-founded Beaupierre with his wife and fellow sommelier, Heidi Turzyn, and the shop is named after his father, Pierre. A car accident in 2003 left him paralyzed, but he went on to become a sommelier, working at Le Cirque, Jean-Georges, Felidia and Atelier at the Ritz-Carlton. He also co-founded Contento in East Harlem, and starred in the Esquire TV documentary series "Uncorked". He received the Michelin Guide New York Sommelier Award in 2023, and was named Sommelier/Wine Director of the Year at the 2021 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards.
Jessica Dupuy covers wine, spirits, and travel from Austin, Texas. She holds a Diploma with the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust, is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits through the Society of Wine Educators. Dupuy’s work has appeared in Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Imbibe, Texas Monthly, Forbes, SevenFifty Daily, GuildSomm, VinePair, and Southern Living. She recently published, The Wines of Southwest USA in addition to six regional cookbooks. Her book Italianity, released this year and co-authored with Andrea Lonardi MW, explores and celebrates the culture of Italian wine. She also co-hosts podcast, Another Bottle Down.
