Who are Benny & Zoid?

Benny & Zoid Selections was started in 2019 by trumpet player Eric “Benny” Bloom and saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, the horn section for the worldwide, psychedelic funk band, “Lettuce”. Lettuce has been touring the country and the world since 1993 but Benny and Zoidis have been developing their knowledge and love of natural wines since 2014. They found that they were drawn to smaller producers from Europe and the U.S. because not only did they focus on low intervention wine making and regenerative farming, they were also focused on reviving forgotten local indigenous varietals which really spoke to Benny & Zoid. Those first few bottles that they enjoyed together put Benny & Zoid on a quest to find wines that had that same energy and rawness and that sparked a flame, much like music did for them.

Lettuce’s presence in Colorado has grown over the recent years, playing Red Rocks, with the Denver Symphony and at several other great venues throughout the state. However, they found that low intervention wines – those they had become passionate about,  were hard to find in Colorado.  Encouraged by friends and seasoned veterans of the Denver food and beverage world, Mary Wright & Mclain Hedges to start a small distribution company, they created “Benny & Zoid Selections” in 2019 with the main goal of bringing exciting, natural wines to the state of Colorado. 

Since opening their doors in 2019, Benny & Zoid Selections have brought wines to over 150 restaurants, bars and shops all over Colorado. They have also hosted numerous events with local chefs, musicians and artists - bringing together people from many different industries and walks of life. “We believe that wine, music and food should be enjoyed by EVERYONE. We don't see anything wrong with paying top dollar to see the Rolling Stones, eat at a michelin star restaurant and enjoy  a 20 year-old bottle of  Burgundy, but many of us can't afford to live that kind of life everyday. We just want to provide other options in the wine and music worlds so you can enjoy yourself without spending your whole paycheck.”

MEET THE TEAM

  • Hailing from West Roxbury, MA, Matte Copeland has been in the food & wine industry for over 20 years. He is the wine director/partner of Appaloosa Grill, a Denver institution which has been operating for 16 years with live music 7 nights a week. PLUS, he is an accomplished house music DJ and still throws cool parties all over Colorado!