CHI Hotels & Resorts, exclusive operator of the Corinthia Hotels brand, in collaboration with the Academy of Food & Wine Service (AFWS), the UK’s professional body for front line food and beverage servers, is continuing to develop its Corinthia Sommelier training programme further.

Last year, over 300 Corinthia food & beverage team members were trained in basic wine and upselling service skills at foundation level. The delegates came from 12 hotel properties managed by CHI Hotels & Resorts in various locations around Europe including Malta, Lisbon, Tunisia, Prague, Budapest and St Petersburg.

The second step, taken this year, saw 14 of the best ’level one’ 2010 candidates take up further training for levels ‘two’ and ’three’ of the Sommelier programme. Teaming up with the renowned Court of Master Sommeliers Worldwide (COMS), the candidates were introduced to the advanced wines skills training required for them to achieve the Court’s Introductory Sommelier Certificate and to eventually sit for the Certified Sommelier examination.

The 14 candidates from CHI Hotels & Resorts in Malta, Budapest, Prague, Lisbon and St Petersburg did exceedingly well, managing to pass the very testing three-day theoretical and practical course with flying colours. Candidates who eventually made it to ‘level three’ then underwent further advanced theory, ‘tasting’ and practical tests.

The course curriculum covered vineyard and wine making procedures including grape varieties, origins, specific wine making procedures and classifications for all the major wines of the world. Other subjects included the production of spirits and liqueurs, technical skills of wine service, social skills, matching of wines with food and an introduction to the skills of wine tasting.