Hundreds – presumably more than 308 – of wine fans packed the aisles of the newly opened Total Wine and More in Bellevue in the hopes of being immortalized in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The attempt made July 12 was to set a record for the most bottles of wine being uncorked simultaneously. Representatives from Total Wine and More could not say after the attempt whether they broke the record. Guinness officials must validate the count. The previous record of 308 was set at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. But, unlike the previous record holders, the customers at Total Wine and More were not allowed to drink the wine after the world record attempt. It was packed up and sent off to be re-corked.
The event, designed to help the new store make a splash with its first location in Washington, was no simple task. Employees gave out hundreds of bottles of wine and corkscrews, and a diligent count was undertaken before the attempt. Participants had 30 seconds to uncork the wine, or risk being disqualified.
A representative from the Guinness Book of World Records explains the rules of the situation. NAT LEVY, Bellevue Reporter