Glass matters
“In our restaurants, the wine experience is just as important as the wine itself,” says Roberto. “This glass is no ordinary drinking vessel – it is an instrument of sensory precision.”
How a design object from Umbria is redefining the enjoyment of wine at Fera Palma – and why a Spanish sommelier with sake visions is setting new trends.
Wine is staged
At Fera, one of Mallorca's most stylish fine dining restaurants, it's not just the contents of the glasses that play a leading role – increasingly, it's the glasses themselves. Here, wine isn't just served. It's staged, celebrated – and transformed. The new head sommelier, Roberto López Martínez, a master of sensory finesse, has introduced a glass that can confidently be understood as a statement: the Chàdi series from Blueside Design, mouth-blown in Umbria, extraordinary in form and function.
His enthusiasm is palpable – and understandable: the glass, made of ultra-light borosilicate, has a textured inner surface with small nubs and targeted indentations. When the wine is swirled, this micro-texture creates a particularly gentle but effective aeration. The result? An aromatic spectrum that is significantly expanded in young white, orange, and red wines. The saltiness and minerality of white wines become more intense, while mature reds can unfold in all their depth – complex, multi-layered, almost meditative.
Wine is not a minor detail
The glasses fit perfectly with the Fera concept: Simon Petutschnig's Asian-Mediterranean cuisine thrives on contrasts and precision. Roberto López Martínez, born in Estepona, Andalusia, brings not only expertise from top establishments such as La Gaia in Ibiza, but also an attitude: “Wine is not a minor matter – it is another ingredient.”
Roberto is considered a perfectionist with flair – and with a mission. He is a certified wine and sake sommelier (WSET3 & Kikisake-Shi) and would like to integrate sake into the pairings in the long term: “In the luxury gastronomy of tomorrow, sake is the new wine.”
There is no question in his mind that he has found the right place for this at Fera. “Here, I have the time to respond to guests – to understand their preferences and recommend drinks that really suit them.” That doesn't sound like a job, but rather a calling.
And the glass?
It is also available for purchase, by the way. For anyone who wants to take this experience home with them – or has simply fallen in love with a piece of design. Retail price: €79 per piece, available directly from Fera Palma. More information: blueside-design.com
About Roberto López Martínez
Roberto comes from Andalusia and is a certified sommelier (WSET3) and certified sake specialist (Kikisake-Shi). Before joining Fera, he was head sommelier at La Gaia in the Ibiza Gran Hotel, among other positions. Today, he brings not only his sensory precision but also his passion for new forms of enjoyment, such as sake pairings, to the luxury gastronomy of tomorrow.
From Genusspunkt magazine May-Aug 2025
© Blueside Design
