Head Sommelier · Provence, France

Benoît Monier

Sentir, goûter, se souvenir

Nearly forty years of French wine culture, carried from the kitchens of Provence to the cellars of Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Taipei.

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Benoît Monier

A sommelier who trained as a cook first

Since 1990, Benoît Monier has been head sommelier at some of the finest tables in France and Asia — working alongside legendary chefs, entrusted with cellars of over 100,000 bottles, and, since July 2010, the senior sommelier of L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Taipei, where he still serves today. Before he ever poured a glass professionally, he worked kitchens in Martinique, England, and France — a foundation in cooking that still shapes how he thinks about food and wine together.

A career in five moments

1986

A kitchen apprenticeship across the French Antilles

Martinique

1990

Diploma from Ferrandi Paris — as an external candidate

École Ferrandi Paris

1994 – 1996

Head sommelier, Le Pré Catelan

Paris (2 Michelin stars)

1996 – 2005

Recruited to Tokyo by Jean-Claude Vrinat

Château Restaurant Taillevent-Robuchon, Tokyo

2010 – Present

Head Sommelier, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Taipei, Taiwan

Career

Benoît Monier

Beyond the bottle

Long before Ferrandi and the great Michelin cellars, there was a kitchen.

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Available for tastings, consulting, and speaking engagements

Benoît Monier welcomes invitations from restaurants, wine estates, media, and event organizers.

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