Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2022
  
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Current

Employment History

• Dorchester Collection, London, UK; Town Hall Hotel, London, UK; Social Company, Jason Atherton, London, UK; Summer Lodge, Red Carnation, Dorset, UK; Hôtel de Crillon, Paris, France; El Celler De Can Roca, Girona, Spain

Birthplace

• Toulouse, France

Languages Spoken

• English, French, Spanish

Following four years as wine director of the Dorchester Collection hotel in Mayfair, overseeing the wine selection for Wolfgang Puck’s CUT at 45 Park Lane and BAR 45, Frederic Marti joined the culinary team at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay as Director of Wine. He oversees the wine program for seven restaurants and lounges, including three culinary experiences by Wolfgang Puck: CUT, Re Asian Cuisine and Blue Moon Lounge.

Prior to his move to Bahrain, he lived and worked as a sommelier in the UK for 12 years, broadening his wine knowledge and working with some of the UK’s top chefs such as Lee Westcott at the Town Hall Hotel and Jason Atherton at Pollen Street Social.

A French national, Frederic was born in the south of France, but has strong ties to Catalonia, where many of his family live. Hospitality is in his blood – his grandmother owned a coastal hotel on the Costa Brava where local wine growers were favoured. Frederic has great respect for the wine growers of Spain and is introducing smaller estates for guests to enjoy at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay. He also has a passion for American wines, which is unusual for a Frenchman, and is introducing guests to some of Napa Valley’s varietals.

Frederic’s career started as a waiter at the young age of 14, working his way up from the 2 Michelin-star El Celler de Can Roca in Spain to sommelier at Hôtel de Crillon in Paris under chef Jean Francois Piège, who taught him discipline and the importance of making every pour count.

He has received many accolades during his career including being asked to judge the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), being named one of the 10 best sommeliers in the UK, and achieving Level 3 WSET Wine certification.

When pairing wine with specific dishes, Frederic believes that wine pairings should make sense with the wine adding an extra dimension to the food. “I think wine plays an integral role in our lives. It is associated with romance, friendship and family celebrations. The more I have learned about wine, the more I appreciate it. It has become my life's work.”