Vegas Uncork'd Chefs Break a Guinness World Record

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• Cheers to the chefs, sommeliers and more who broke the Guinness World Record for most wine bottles uncorked at the same time.
• Cheers to the chefs, sommeliers and more who broke the Guinness World Record for most wine bottles uncorked at the same time.
• Cheers to the chefs, sommeliers and more who broke the Guinness World Record for most wine bottles uncorked at the same time.
• Rick Moonen, José Anrdés and Bradey Ogden
• Hubet Keller
• Rick Moonen
• Rick Moonen
• Bradley Ogden, José Anrdés and Rick Moonen
• José Anrdés
• Julian Serrano
• Julian Serrano
• Bradley Ogden
• Michael Mina
• Chefs toast their success.
• Hubert Keller
• Michael Mina
• Bradey Ogden and Rick Moonen
• Bradley Ogden

A bacchanalia of chefs, sommeliers, mixologists and more from the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Mandalay Bay gathered at the pools at the Bellagio to set a new Guinness World Record by uncorking 308 bottles of Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon simultaneously on Wednesday.

It was all part of the unveiling of Vegas Uncork’d, the food festival coming to Sin City May 10-13 with the help of Bon Appétit. Before the massive uncorking, Adam Rapoport, the editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit kicked off the morning amid cocktails and nibbles galore inside Sensi at the Bellagio. “Today we’re making history with some of the world’s best chefs, sommeliers and mixologists,” Rapoport says. “Setting this Guinness World Record is just the beginning of all the great programming and truly memorable moments you’ll see at Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appetit in May.”

Uncorkers funneled out to the pool in chefs coats and black suits. Wristbands denoted those tasked with wielding a corkscrew and a bottle of wine and attempting to open the bottles within 30 seconds.

And tongue-in-cheek revelry abounded. “Insert your worm slowly,” one instruction went telling the crowd just how to uncorked a bottle of wine. “Make sure you insert your worm all the way in.”

The Guinness World Record adjudicator cautioned the crowd that spotters were on hand to determine if all corks were untethered. “Do we lose our green card?” José Andrés of Jaleo and China Poblano at the Cosmopolitan asked about failing to open his bottle in time.

Then came the countdown. Michael Mina’s cork broke. Julian Serrano briefly struggled with his bottle. But both succeeded.

In a mere 30 seconds, 308 bottles of wine were uncorked at the same time, shattering the previous record of 252 set last year at a James Beard Foundation event for wine educator Kevin Zraly.

Rapoport says that this year’s rendition is the first with his new staff on board and promises more interactive events with the chefs and his staff. “We want every event to feel unique from the other 364 days of the year,” he says.
· All Coverage of Vegas Uncork'd [~ELV~]