On 29 October 2010 I had the pleasure of being invited to the Vinifest wine festival in Lebanon to adjudicate Eventions events company’s Guinness World Record attempt for the largest wine glass. The event took place in the Beirut hippodrome and wine producers from around the country came to showcase their finest selection of wines, yet the potentially record breaking wine glass was the event’s star attraction.
Lebanon is famous for its record breaking culinary expertise, having achieved Guinness World Record titles including the largest serving of hummus and the largest serving of tabbouleh, but this time their wine production was put into the spotlight. When I arrived on-site the huge wine glass stood on a platform covered from public view before its dramatic unveiling and the adjudication, the result of which was eagerly anticipated, since the record had not been broken since 1998.
Hundreds of people, wine lovers and record lovers alike, came to watch the adjudication. The record was based on the physical dimensions of the wine glass and therefore I measured the height of the giant vessel, which was made out of Plexiglass, using a tape measure and with the help of representatives from HSBC Lebanon who were one of the official sponsors of the event.
I then had to measure the glass at its widest point by climbing on a platform and looking down on the glass…ever conscious of the danger of falling into 1557 litres of wine and suffering from the world’s worst hangover! The official guidelines stated that the glass had to be filled with wine and Lebanese wine producers donated bottles of wine to fill the glass and to be a part of the world record attempt.
The wine glass measured an incredibly impressive 2.40 m (7.87 ft) in height and 1.65 m (5.41 ft) in width and therefore Eventions had succeeded in achieving the record and ending Portugal’s 12 year hold on the title. The event organisers and supporters alike aptly celebrated with a very well deserved (standard sized) glass of wine. Congratulations to Eventions…and Cheers!
