A world record in oenology at the ULB!
It's a new world record! The Inter Wine & Dine School (IWD) in Brussels brought together 529 people in a ULB auditorium for an oenology class by Professor Fabrizio Bucella, a sommelier and lecturer in physical sciences.
This is not the first time they've done this! The IWD set the world record last year by bringing together 309 people, and has repeated this feat, beating its own wine-tasting record with more than 200 participants more than last year!
529 people came to prepare for the Christmas and New Year holidays! The class started with a presentation of several wines by sommelier Fabrizio Bucella. This was followed by a tasting session of three sparkling wines and three champagnes. No fewer than 252 bottles were uncorked over the three hours!
You may not know this, but Belgian oenologists are among the most famous in the world. They won the world championships in 2013 and are regularly ranked in the top five in the world! They also take part in the French Championships, which is one of the largest competitions.
This year, the Belgian Cefor-Namur team, represented by Olivier Rotiers and Philippe Berger, won the French Championship in blind wine tasting. This was not the first time Olivier Rotiers had taken part, as he won the title of European champion in 2018. Two more Belgians, Philippe Haid and Henry Rossignol, also performed very well, finishing in second position in the same competition.
Our country may not yet be a major wine producer, but it already has a presence in the world of oenology.