Q&A: Maria Federica Salvador, head sommelier, Hotel IKOS Portopetro

Global in outlook and passionate about her craft, Maria Federica Salvador is an internationally acclaimed sommelier and judge whose career has spanned South America, the US and Europe. Recently installed at the idyllic 5-star Ikos Portopetro hotel in Mallorca, the gregarious Salvador is renowned for her thoughtful approach to storytelling and guest engagement. The antithesis of the “stuffy wine waiter” cliché, Salvador has nonetheless steered a number of prestigious Michelin-starred wine programmes, delivering a judicious mix of tradition, innovation and global exploration. Over a delectable glass of Mallorcan red, she sits down with James Lawrence to discuss wine list design, climate change and the never-ending joy of discovery.

You built your sommelier career beginning in Mendoza, then extended it through the US, Spain and Europe. Now that you've recently left your role at A Tafona, what comes next?

The next step in my career takes me back to a place where I had been before, but had to leave  for personal reasons. I have recently been appointed as head sommelier at Ikos Portopetro, a 5-star hotel on the island of Mallorca. It is a great challenge, as the hotel has eight restaurants, with different cuisines from Asia, Greece, Italy, Spain and America. Crafting the wine programme is especially exciting because they need to match such diverse flavours. Additionally, the hotel offers daily wine tastings for guests, allowing for constant interaction which makes it a deeply involving role.

Reflecting on your time at A Tafona (when you were head sommelier) and now transitioning onwards: what were the biggest lessons you took with you from that role?

Working in a Michelin-starred restaurant is a beautiful kind of pressure, but it has both a starting point and a finishing point. Excessive stress is not good for the body, and focusing solely on perfection can make you lose perspective of subtle changes in the market, which are now happening faster than ever – new wine trends, emerging regions and evolving ways of thinking. After some time dedicated to a specific cuisine, guided by the chef's vision and the wine programme built around it, it became necessary to advance my career and take a new path.  I'm sure every colleague who has experienced Michelin-level pressure knows what I meant.  It is both challenging and rewarding, and I highly recommend it for any sommelier – but it is also important to know when to step back in order to continue growing professionally.

In the years you spent building and maintaining a high-end wine list, how did you balance the competing interests of profit making, discovery, storytelling and matching the chef's cuisine style?

I love “house stories” because stories create memories. Without an engaging narrative, a restaurant is just a place to eat and wine is nothing more than an alcoholic beverage. So it is the content and the tale that make the product unique and the experience memorable. At A Tafona, the philosophy was to showcase Galicia, the Celtic north west of Spain, with its unique cuisine, culture, and beautiful wines. The challenge was that the chef wanted low-intervention wines to be the stars of the menu. While some of these wines were perfect for a high-end list, others were not. My biggest challenge was persuading the team to include some classics alongside the 'natural' selections – finding the middle ground between extreme approaches and creating a balanced, memorable wine experience.

As you look ahead in the wine world, climate change, rising costs, supply-chain challenges and shifting consumer tastes are all in play. How do you anticipate these factors shaping your sourcing decisions?

Well, all these factors continue to influence my sourcing decisions.  It is interesting to realise that something as simple as distribution within Europe can sometimes be challenging. In the case of Mallorca, for example, we face the fact that it's hard to find brands that are easily available in the continent; shipping is limited, and it takes longer to arrive than it would on land, and at a higher price. So it's definitely a determining factor when building a wine list for any restaurant.

On the other hand, climate change is a reality that nobody in the wine world questions. As exciting as it can be to discover new wines made in places that were previously unthinkable, it is also disheartening to see how warm regions are struggling to survive. Yet I personally think the most concerning development involves declining consumption – a trend seen worldwide. Wine is a healthy beverage that, when consumed in moderation, can accompany every moment of life because of its diversity. However, I am optimistic that despite falling consumption, this cloud will pass and a newer, more conscious kind of consumer will rise. We are listening to what consumers are saying, producing fresher wines with lower alcohol.

For sommeliers working today who are building new wine lists, what advice would you give about crafting a menu that speaks to both assertive wine-enthusiast guests and more general diners - especially in a post-pandemic, globalised dining setting?

Besides considering the food menu – not only the dishes themselves, but also their pricing, as it must correlate with the wine list – it's important to consider the location of the restaurant. Logistics impact wine procurement, and you must understand your potential clientele. Having  some 'golden treasures' hidden in our cellar is great, but rotation drives revenue. So I would allocate 10% of the list to super-premium wines and 20% to low-intervention wines, which are very on trend and appeal to enthusiasts seeking new discoveries. The next 40% should cover more commercial, entry-level wines to make non-expert consumers comfortable – whites, rosés, reds and entry-level sparkling wines. The remaining 30% can be filled with mid-range wines, which sell regularly at a good price.

Finally, is there a wine region you feel we should be more excited about?

There is a blossoming wine industry in Mallorca that deserves more attention. Some are historic producers making classical styles of wine – rarely seen outside of the island. Yet many of the wineries are newer entrants that produce tiny volumes of exceptional wine, only really encountered in the best wine stores of mainland Spain.  But the quality can be inspirational, especially from indigenous grapes such as Callet or Prensal Blanc. One of the challenges I have set myself is to list some of these local wines at the hotel. Eventually I would like to develop an interactive wine guide to the Balearic islands. That's my dream.