Press Releases

CAMPBELL, Calif. - January 7, 2008 - The world's foremost authority on wine, the Court of Master Sommeliers, has extended their contract with the Silicon Valley's Professional Culinary Institute (PCI), located in Campbell, California. The contract between PCI and the Court of Master Sommeliers provides the endorsement and approval of this coveted program. Since its inception in 2006, 100 students have graduated from PCI's Certified Sommelier program, 89 of which are now Certified Sommeliers who have entered the wine, hospitality and restaurant industries.

"We are thrilled to have extended our contract with the Court of Master Sommeliers as we feel this is of great benefit to our students. The Court has evaluated our curriculum and deemed the coursework appropriate in preparing students for the Court's rigorous exam," says David Glancy, Master Sommelier and wine department chair. "Our dedication and hard work has paid off; our students are passing both the introductory and certified exams at high rates, and those who need additional assistance are invited to return and take any class they feel will benefit them in the test administration."

Most recently, the students enrolled in PCI's fall Certified Sommelier program enjoyed a 100% pass rate for the introductory exam and 89% pass rate for the certified exam. The students who passed both the introductory and certified exams are: Robert Becker, Kent Beckman, Kathleen Brookshire, Anna Davis, Lisa Feltis-German, Shelly Fitzgerald, Ari Goodman, Paul Hinshberger, Nancy Jorgensen, Rosanne LaVoy, Cristina Merrigan, Clair Neighbors, Juhee Park, Bruno Pillet, Alena Quinlin, Will Quinlin, Lishan Sung and Polly Yap.

PCI's state-of-the-art wine cellar offers amphitheater seating for up to 22 students, and is equipped with both plasma screens and an automated projection screen to assist with audio-visual lessons. Each seat contains an individual sink; a counter for twelve glasses of wine; and up-lit tabletops featuring specially designed spotlights to reveal the hue, clarity and brilliance of the wine. Students taste more than $12,000 worth of wine during the course of their study, and field trips to local wineries help to reinforce what is learned in the classroom. The Certified Sommelier program is offered in both full-time day and half-time evening formats.

For more information about PCI or the Certified Sommelier Program, visit www.pcichef.com or call toll free 1-888-PCI-CHEF.

### About the Professional Culinary Institute
Founded by Chef Richard Battista in 2005, the Professional Culinary Institute (PCI) is a premier chef-owned culinary school located in the heart of the Silicon Valley in Campbell, California. Offering full- and part-time programs in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, a certified sommelier program, and a hospitality management program, PCI offers small class sizes, renowned instructors, state-of-the-art equipment and facility, a required paid externship and an Artisense method of teaching that is unique to PCI. Degrees and diplomas offered at PCI include: Diploma of Essential Professional Culinary Skills, Diploma of Essential Professional Baking and Pastry Skills, Certified Sommelier, and Associates of Occupational Science in Hospitality Management. To learn more about PCI, visit www.pcichef.com or call toll free, 1-888-PCI-LEARN.