Ex-Café Boulud Sommelier Pours, Sips and Savors

If you've ever met Jenny Benzie you'd know that "sommelier" isn't French for "pompous, arrogant asshole" but for "wine steward." And a very nice one, at that. 

Benzie, who spent three years as sommelier at Michael McCarty's seminal Michael's restaurant in Santa Monica before assuming the same position at Café Boulud, recently left the elegant Palm Beach eatery after five years to start her own business, Pour Sip Savor, bringing her sommelier skills to wine lovers on a more personal, individual basis. 

For anyone lucky enough to have a wine cellar, she'll assess your collection, organize it for you using Cellar Tracker software and advise on purchases, though nowadays there are more people wanting to unload their wines that buy new ones. She's also organizing private tastings and wine dinners for anyone from a group of friends to corporations like Charles Schwab and is representing the wines of Ribera del Duero, one of Spain's nine wine-producing regions and home to such heavy enological hitters as Vega Sicilia and Pesquera. 

Things will get even more interesting in October, when Benzie takes over a space in long-time pal Chrissy Benoit's Production Kitchen (1253 Old Okeechobee Road, Suites B8 & 9, 561-833-3585) in West Palm to hold affordable classes and tastings, as well as offer a carefully chosen selection of wines for sale. If you want to pour, sip and savor with Jenny, call 561-779-7687.