After years of accolades, sommelier and restaurant owner Yannick Benjamin still needs a bit of time to process when amazing things happen to him. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," admitted Benjamin.
"I'm truly one of the luckiest human beings on the face of the Earth. ... I was given a second chance, maybe even a third chance. I just try to live every moment to the best of my ability." In October, Benjamin learned he had received the $1 million Craig H. Neilsen Visionary Prize, an award for those pushing boundaries while living with spinal cord injuries. Benjamin, who uses a wheelchair, is an influential advocate for disability accessibility in the restaurant industry.
Raised in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood by French parents who worked in the hospitality industry, Benjamin started his first restaurant job at the age of 13. He became entranced by the sommelier position. He enrolled in wine courses even before he turned 21, moving up through the ranks to become a highprofile sommelier at some of America's most prestigious restaurants, such as Jean-Georges and Atelier at the Ritz-Carlton.
He was determined to stay in the field after his mobility-altering car accident in 2003, taking a position at New York's University Club and co-founding the charitable organization Wheeling Forward, which hosts Wine on Wheels programs across the country to raise funds for spinal cord injury research.
Denne historien er fra March 31, 2023-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra March 31, 2023-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New Zealand's Success Story
From small beginnings, the country’s wines have ascended to global prominence
Wine Is Healthiest Choice for Drinkers
Decades of research has linked light to moderate drinking, especially of wine, to a range of health benefits.
In Pursuit of the Perfect Crust
“Dough is always the hardest challenge for any home chef,” explains chef and restaurateur Tony Gemignani. “But it’s the foundation of any great pizza.”
SEAVEY VINEYARD
In Napa’s Conn Valley, a family-run winery marches to its own drum
CALIFORNIA RHONES Show Their Range
RECENT VINTAGES DELIVER EXCELLENT REDS AND WHITES IN AN ARRAY OF STYLES
Tuscany Comes of Age
Anchored by the 2021 vintage, Tuscan reds set a new standard of quality
The Absolute Best Places to Eat and Drink in America
PROFILES OF THE 63 WINE SPECTATOR GRAND AWARD WINNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TODAY, AS THE PROGRAM MARKS ITS 44TH YEAR
Events- A Grand Tour for Wine Spectator- a perfect day with an evening of outstanding wines.
A young couple in shorts and festival shirts sped into the ballroom of the New Orleans Marriott on a mission.
Big Wine Players Target Pinot Noir - Plenty of small winery owners are cashing out, either because they're looking to retire or they see selling as the best way to keep their label growing
Plenty of small winery owners are cashing out, either because they’re looking to retire or they see selling as the best way to keep their label growing
Restaurant Awards- Lazy Bear- Lazy Bear bills itself as a modern American dinner party. But it's so much more.
Lazy Bear bills itself as a modern American dinner party. But it’s so much more. This Mission District restaurant effortlessly strips away the formality of a multicourse dinner and replaces it with conviviality, nostalgia and curiosity. With reverence for time and place, Lazy Bear is an ode to California where guests dine in concert with the season and can explore diverse wines, including an impressive collection of older California vintages.
