Sommelier Yannick Benjamin of University Club of New York - Biography

NYC native Yannick Benjamin is a sommelier at the University Club and lead lecturer for Saturday seminars at Le Du’s Wines in the WestVillage. A visit to Bordeauxat age 13 inspired Yannick to get involved with wine, and he went on to work at Le Cirque, Oceana, Jean Georges and Atlas prior to becoming a sommelier at Felidia and Atelier at the Ritz Carlton. He is currently an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and has worked on the retail side of the wine world at Le Du’s Wines for over seven years.

In October 2003, a car accident left Yannick paralyzed below the waist, so he quickly adapted, outfitting his wheelchair with a table that allows him to continue to perform the tasks of a sommelier. Yannick’s current passion is his non-profit organization Wheeling Forward, which he started with partner Alex Elegudin in 2011.