In the wake of the Weinstein allegations a flurry of denunciations in my state; the IMBA Antidote: take a Butler course

by Richard Sagala In a few days this week, the career of three prominent power brokers came to a brutal halt in my own province of Québec, Canada. The IMBA Antidote: they should have taken a butler course. Some people pointed to me a few times in the past that our training look like going thirteen

Richard Sagala on Butler skills, Firsts, training and experience

  -The XXIst c. Butler and the Art of Service, a Swiss knife approach?- To excel in the Art of Service, the XXIst c. Butler must nowadays acquire a 360 degree skill set that includes: managing people, budgets, and take part in coordinating the maintenance of real estate, aircrafts, boats and cars, special equipment et

Marilisa Allegrini, Allegrini CEO, Hostess Extraordinaire

Tuesday the 17th of October 2017, It was a pleasure to meet again, in Montréal, Marilisa Allegrini, CEO of Allegrini wines. I had the pleasure to meet for the first time Ms Allegrini in Verona in 2015 at Vinitaly Opera Wines but, what I remember most was the superb evening for its quality, inventivity and

(real life situation) the Boss says “sort it out”

Real life situation: the Boss says “sort it out”. Would you rise to the  occasion? The Boss will notice it both ways…   In Vino Veritas!

Hotel des Indes 2001 & Mata Hari one hundred years ago (15th of October 1917)

My first ever butler assignment came November 2001 at Hotel des Indes in The Hague (the Netherlands). I kept a box of matches as a Souvenir of this day. I will always remember it. In 2001 this Historic Hotel sounded very exotic to me with its French name, especially due to the fact that it

Tiberio Fonte Canale 2015

by Richard Sagala Tiberio Fonte Canale 2015 This crisp wine comes from the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is crafted from 100% Trebbiano Abruzzese 58 years old vines grown under a canopy training system (see picture of Cristiana Tiberio under the canopy). How does it taste? Acacia flowers on the nose plus mandarine and lemony

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars present an artistic concept by Pipilotti Rist that includes creative table settings

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has partnered with Fondation Beyeler to present an artistic concept by internationally renowned Swiss artist, Pipilotti Rist, for the institution’s famed Summer Night’s Gala 2017, held on 16 September. Normally the reserve of Fondation Beyeler’s esteemed guests, Rolls-Royce’s patronage ensured that the installation was seen and experienced by the public on Sunday

Author of the quintessential Butler story wins the Nobel prize of Literature

Anthony Hopkins as Stevens in The Remains of the Day On the 5th of October 2017, the Swedish Academy gave the Nobel prize of Literature to UK author Kazuo Ishiguro link The film The Remains of the Day enjoys a cult status in the butler world for its depiction of a true to form English butler

IMBA impressions, 2 minutes Video

Are you an Athlete of Excellence?

Loic Le Roy PhD Spanish version: link Are you an Athlete of Excellence? The cliché conveyed by urban legends and ancients (or modern) movies about the Butler’s functions very loosely translate the reality of this profession in the XXIst Century. The image of the butler wearing ancient style white gloves and classical penguin suit while

The eight iteration of the Rolls-Royce Phantom just revealed

92 years after the first Phantom got introduced (1925), Rolls-Royce came out with its eight iteration of its flagship car. Persistent Would you say? No, a relentless continuum of Excellence spanning ninety-two years so far…

Château des Bachelards, Le Clos 2014, Fleurie, France

Château des Bachelards, (Magnum), Le Clos 2014 Above is a 19th century print showing a French wine growing property, Les Bachelards, located in Burgundy, more specifically in Fleurie, one of the ten Beaujolais Crus (first growths). One can see the wall connected to the main house behind which vines were grown and were called Le Clos (read:
Tagged under: , , ,

Partnership announcement between ALFRED Sommelier and CEWECM-IMBA

Montréal, July 5th 2017: Partnership announcement between ALFRED Sommelier and CEWECM-IMBA. CEWECM-IMBA, the Centre of Excellence in Wine Education and Cellar Management of the International Montreal Butler Academy will be partnering this Fall with ALFRED Sommelier, an Expert Software System and cellar management company. CEWECM-IMBA was created  in 2017 by Richard Sagala Wine MBA, the owner of the International Montreal Butler Academy.  Richard Sagala and
Tagged under: , , , ,

IMBA Kitchen Essentials

Inspired by Nature…the Butler did it! Kitchen Essentials: We will post one menu by season that can be easily prepared by anybody (a butler is not a Chef), but pleases the palate of our discriminating clientele… Find the 3 courses Summer 0f 2017 menu here: link The IMBA cookbook is in preparation and will become

Pol Roger cuvée Winston Churchill 2004

by Richard Sagala 2nd of July 2017 A quality champagne, powerful and from a good vintage to boot. Surprisingly, the wine shows signs of evolution (oxydative character). It has the pastry shop aromatics but, where is the fruit? I am questioning the storage conditions of the retailer. So I reserve my judgement and my tasting