Pop goes the wine uncorking record
How do 308 chefs and sommeliers set a Guinness world record by simultaneously uncorking their bottle of wine within 30 seconds?
Very carefully, based on the reaction of some of the participants in the mass uncorking at the Bellagio pool on Wednesday.
"It's the first time I got nervous opening a bottle of wine," confessed chef Hubert Keller of Fleur at Mandalay Bay.
The day was a near-disaster for Bon Appetit editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport. His face turned the color of a big red for a heart-stopping moment after dropping his bottle of Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon on concrete during a group warm-up.
Rapoport was spared eternal teasing when the bottle didn't break minutes before the official photo for the challenge, a promotion for the May 10-13 Vegas Uncork'd food and wine extravaganza sponsored by Rapoport's magazine.
"Piece of cake!" gushed chef Rick Moonen of rm seafood at Mandalay Bay, who claimed he could have popped three corks in the allotted time.
They shattered the previous Guinness record of 252 uncorkings at a James Beard Foundation event in New York last year.
Some 20-30 participants failed to uncork their bottles within the time limit, according to Guinness rep Michael Empric, who adjudicated the record.
Picasso's Julian Serrano, who went down to the wire, and Rapoport said the corkscrew gadgets, also known as a key, had a tricky hinge that created some challenges.
Spain's ever-mischievious star chef Jose Andres provided pre-event entertainment, at one point voicing mock concern, "Are we going to lose our green card?"
Some 60 top restaurants will be represented in May, with 50 chefs and 30 sommeliers participating in 30 events over Mother's Day weekend at Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Cosmopolitan and Mandalay Bay.
SIGHTINGS
Burlesque icon Tempest Storm, celebrating her 21st birthday (she's a leap year baby) on Wednesday at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant (Paris Las Vegas) with Las Vegas photographer Randy Soard and his wife, Cindy. The voluptuous redhead was born Feb. 29, 1928, the year the first color movie came out. Actor Kelsey Grammer and wife Kayte Walsh, at "Viva Elvis" (Aria) Tuesday night. They are expecting twins. Also at the show: "My Fair Wedding" host David Tutera and singer/TV personality Joey Fatone with his parents. Singer Enrique Iglesias, with friends at Lavo (Palazzo) Tuesday night. Randi Zuckerberg, whose brother Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook and hired her as marketing director, celebrated her 30th birthday in Las Vegas on Wednesday. She sang "Summertime" with former "Jersey Boys" star Rick Faugno, the headliner at The Lounge at the Palms. She partied at Moon and dined at Mon Ami Gabi (Paris). Pete "Big Elvis" Vallee, marking his 10-year anniversary on the Strip on Tuesday at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon (formerly Barbary Coast). ... Destin Pfaff, COO of the Millionaire's Club and co-star of "The Millionaire Matchmaker," dining Tuesday with his wife, Rachel Federoff, at Rice & Company (Luxor).
THE PUNCH LINE
"Today is the 100th anniversary of the Oreo cookie. For New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, it's a holy day." -- David Letterman
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
