Paul Faurie of Collectors Wine World on Mallorca’s evolving wine culture, the art of the private cellar, and the pleasure of bringing exceptional wines, beautiful homes and Mediterranean living together.
Interview for Scout Mallorca
Paul Faurie · Collectors Wine World
Originally from Bordeaux, one of the world’s most renowned wine regions, Paul Faurie has built a professional life around his passion for wine, gastronomy and the people behind them.
With a background in economics and marketing, and several years of experience working with wineries across Mallorca, he has developed a deep understanding of the island’s wine scene, its local producers and its evolving identity. Having worked with established Mallorcan wineries before joining Collectors Wine World as Head of Sales for the Balearic Islands, Paul now brings together his international wine experience and his close connection to Mallorca.
In this conversation, we explore his perspective on the island’s wine culture, the art of building a private wine collection, and how exceptional wines, beautiful homes and the Mediterranean lifestyle naturally come together.
∴ Wine and Mallorca ∴
You work with some of the most prestigious wines in the world. What makes Mallorca such a special place for wine lovers?
Mallorca has a very distinctive combination of landscape, gastronomy, architecture and quality of life. But something else interesting is happening: more and more people are spending extended periods of time on the island. They come mainly from different European countries, but also from America and other parts of the world.
Many of these people have travelled extensively and have a deep appreciation of wine. When they are in Mallorca, they want to continue enjoying the wines they know and love, while also feeling curious about discovering the island’s producers and grape varieties.
I think this coexistence makes Mallorca particularly appealing to wine lovers: being able to discover a local wine one day and, on another occasion, open a great Bordeaux, Burgundy or Champagne. All of this takes place in an environment that encourages people to enjoy good food and share memorable moments around the table.
From your perspective, how has wine culture in Mallorca evolved in recent years? And what do you think many wine lovers visiting the island are still overlooking?
I spent more than fifteen years working with wineries in Mallorca, an experience that allowed me to get to know the work of local producers at first hand. It remains a very important part of my relationship with the island.
From that perspective, it is particularly rewarding to see how Mallorcan wines have developed their own identity. There is growing interest in local grape varieties and in producing wines that express the character of the places they come from. I also sense greater curiosity among wine drinkers: people want to know who is behind a bottle, how they work and what story their vineyard has to tell.
Perhaps what some visitors still overlook is the diversity of Mallorcan wines. It is well worth visiting different wineries and discovering their styles, as each offers its own interpretation of the island. That is why we are incorporating more local wines into our selection: we want to share this richness with our clients.
Collectors Wine World brings together wines from some of the world’s great wine regions. When someone discovers Mallorca through its local wines, which other regions or styles would you recommend exploring?
It depends entirely on the individual. For me, recommending wine always starts with listening.
After discovering Mallorcan wines, some people are drawn to Burgundy; others become interested in Bordeaux, Champagne, Italy, Germany or other great Spanish wine regions. One of the most fascinating aspects of wine is precisely the opportunity to travel from one region to another and begin to understand why they are so different.
We also organise private tastings following this philosophy. We can arrange a tasting focused exclusively on Mallorca, but also on Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, iconic wines or specific producers.
In addition, we represent Champagne Frerejean Frères in Mallorca and throughout the Balearic Islands. It is a Champagne house whose wines have a particularly gastronomic character. I think that fits Mallorca beautifully, because so much of the pleasure of wine here happens around the table.
∴ Wine and the Home ∴
Having a private wine cellar at home has a particular appeal. In your opinion, what transforms a cellar from a simple place to store bottles into a true part of the home and its lifestyle?
A good private cellar should reflect the people who live in the house.
I am not particularly interested in filling a cellar simply with prestigious names. First, I want to understand what the owner enjoys drinking, what they cook, when they are in Mallorca, how much time they spend here, who their friends are, how they entertain and what kind of moments they want to experience in their home.
It is also important to know whether they spend mainly the summer months in Mallorca or whether they also visit at Christmas, in spring or in autumn. Someone who hosts summer parties will have very different needs from someone who mainly enjoys small family dinners during the winter.
For me, a wine cellar truly becomes part of a home when it is designed around the life that unfolds within it.
If you were advising someone designing a wine cellar in a Mallorcan finca, what elements would you consider essential, both practically and aesthetically?
Of course, storage conditions are fundamental. In Mallorca, given the temperatures we can reach during the summer, climate control and temperature stability are particularly important. We pay close attention to this aspect in our own service, too: the wines we have in Mallorca are delivered using refrigerated transport and kept under temperature-controlled conditions.
But once the technical aspects have been taken care of, what really interests me begins: building the collection itself.
I would not design the same selection for someone who spends three months a year in Mallorca as I would for someone who practically lives here. You need to consider what they drink regularly, what they keep for special occasions, the food they enjoy, how many people they usually entertain and even which wines their friends appreciate.
The cellar should certainly be beautiful, but above all, it needs to work.
Imagine you had to choose a property in Mallorca for someone who is truly passionate about wine. What would you look for? The land, a vineyard, the winery, the architecture, the location—or a combination of all these elements?
Probably a combination.
I do not necessarily believe that a wine lover needs to own a vineyard. It may be much more important to have a welcoming home in which to share experiences, a good kitchen, outdoor spaces, a dining room for entertaining friends and, naturally, a suitable place to create a wonderful wine cellar.
Architecture matters, too, because wine is part of an experience. Opening a bottle simply because it happens to be in your collection is not the same as opening it at the right moment, with the right people, in a place that makes you want to linger around the table.
∴ Vineyards and the Mallorcan Lifestyle ∴
Many people dream of owning a property with their own vineyard. From your experience, what is the reality behind that dream? What should someone know before embarking on such a project?
It is a wonderful dream, but I think it is important to distinguish between enjoying having vines on your property and genuinely wanting to produce wine with serious ambitions.
A vineyard requires time, knowledge and people who know how to care for it. That is why I would first recommend defining exactly what you are looking for: do you want a few vines because they form part of the landscape and the pleasure of owning a finca? Do you want to produce a small quantity of wine for private consumption? Or do you want to develop a genuine winemaking project?
These are very different experiences.
The important thing is to ensure that the project is consistent with the lifestyle the owner wants to lead in Mallorca, and that it involves specialised professionals in viticulture and winemaking from the outset.
What is the difference between simply having vines on a property and creating a genuine experience around wine and a sense of place?
For me, the difference lies in what happens around those vines.
You can have a beautiful little vineyard, but the experience truly begins when that landscape becomes part of the life of the house: when you can walk among the vines, welcome friends, taste wines, organise a meal, host a tasting or tell the story of what is being cultivated.
It is exactly the same with a private wine cellar. The important thing is not simply owning bottles or having vines. What matters is creating moments around them.
Are you seeing growing interest among international buyers in properties with vineyards, private wine cellars or land suitable for growing grapes?
Yes, more and more international buyers are purchasing fincas with vineyards or creating their own wineries to produce wine, sometimes with the intention of selling it commercially. It is a very appealing project, but winemaking is a craft, and it cannot be learned or improvised overnight.
Beyond vineyard management and winemaking, there is a significant initial investment, ongoing costs and a great deal of administrative work. People coming from outside the industry often do not fully appreciate this reality when they first embark on a project. That is why it is essential to work with professionals and understand exactly what is involved before getting started.
For a wine lover with the resources to pursue this passion at home in Mallorca, I would undoubtedly recommend creating an interesting private cellar, with a selection tailored to their tastes and lifestyle.
That is where we can help: taking into account when they are on the island, what they enjoy cooking, how they entertain friends and which wines they want to discover or keep for the future. A cellar like this can bring an enormous amount of pleasure and evolve alongside its owner over the years.
∴ The Pleasure of Enjoying Wine ∴
What would the perfect wine experience in Mallorca look like for you? A long lunch, dinner with friends, an afternoon on a terrace at sunset—or something entirely different?
Probably something quite simple.
A good table, people you genuinely want to spend time with, good food and absolutely no rush.
Mallorca lends itself beautifully to this kind of experience. Lunch can begin in the early afternoon and continue for hours, or dinner can start on a terrace as the sun sets and finish much later than expected.
For me, this is where the true luxury of wine lies: not necessarily in the most expensive or rarest bottle, but in the perfect harmony between the wine, the food, the setting and the people.
If you could choose just one bottle to open at a beautiful Mallorcan finca on a summer evening, which would you choose and why?
I would choose a bottle of Champagne Frerejean Frères Cuvée des Hussards 2013. It is a Champagne with great depth, yet it is also elegant and wonderfully suited to food. For me, it is a perfect match for a summer evening in Mallorca.
It also has a special significance because we represent Frerejean Frères in Mallorca and throughout the Balearic Islands, and I know the house’s style very well. I particularly appreciate its combination of precision, complexity and ability to accompany a meal.
At a Mallorcan finca, at sunset, with good company and a leisurely dinner, I think it would be the perfect bottle. I see it not simply as an aperitif, but as a Champagne capable of accompanying an entire dining experience.
And if you could put one bottle into a private cellar today and forget about it for ten years, which would you choose?
There are many great wines worth buying with the intention of ageing them. The finest Bordeaux wines, certain Burgundies and some of Italy’s most iconic wines have extraordinary ageing potential.
Personally, I could choose several bottles. A Château Margaux 2000, for example, because it is a great vintage and a wine that perfectly represents the elegance of Bordeaux. I might also choose a Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 2023, because Burgundy has that fascinating ability to evolve over the years, gaining nuance and complexity. Or a Masseto 2020, one of Italy’s great wines that would make perfect sense in a private cellar.
But perhaps the most important thing is not simply to choose the bottle with the greatest ageing potential. I like the idea of buying a great wine today, keeping it for ten years and associating it with a particular moment in life: a new home in Mallorca, a celebration or a new chapter for the family.
When you finally open that bottle, you are not just discovering how the wine has evolved; you are also reconnecting with part of the story you have lived over those ten years.
One Last Question …
What do you think makes Mallorca particularly appealing to someone who appreciates not only fine wine, but also beautiful homes, land, architecture and the Mediterranean lifestyle?
I think Mallorca allows you to bring all these things together in a very natural way.
There are extraordinary places around the world for drinking wine, others for dining, and others for enjoying wonderful architecture or the sea. In Mallorca, you can bring many of these pleasures together in everyday life.
There are also more and more international people who do not come here simply on holiday. They spend months on the island, work remotely from here, have their own homes, welcome friends and begin to build a much deeper relationship with Mallorca.
Wine fits perfectly into this way of life because it is also about time, place, gastronomy, landscape and sharing.
And I think that is precisely what makes Mallorca so special: you can have a wonderful home, discover the island’s wines and, at the same time, continue to enjoy access to great wines from the rest of the world. Mallorca allows you to bring it all together.
∴∴∴
Where Wine Meets the Art of Living
In Mallorca, wine is part of a lifestyle built around sharing, pleasure and beautiful surroundings. Discover three exceptional properties where a passion for wine finds its perfect setting.
A Finca for the Love of Wine
For those who dream of taking their passion for wine a step further, this exceptional finca in Montuïri offers something truly special: its own vineyard, already producing Prensal Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. With a dedicated basement ideal for a private wine cellar, it is a home where the pleasure of wine can become part of everyday life.
Where Mediterranean Living Meets Fine Wine
Imagine ending a day by the sea with a beautiful bottle of wine shared with family and friends. This elegant newly built villa in Cas Català makes that lifestyle a reality, featuring a dedicated wine cellar, sophisticated living spaces and beautiful Mediterranean surroundings.
A City Home for Memorable Wine Moments
For those who enjoy the energy of Palma as much as a perfectly chosen glass of wine, this contemporary penthouse in Es Jonquet offers the best of both worlds. Part of the exclusive XO Jonquet development, it combines spectacular harbour views with exceptional amenities, including a communal wine bodega.
∴∴∴
Ultimately, Mallorca is more than a place to enjoy great wine. It is a place to build a life around the things that matter most: beautiful surroundings, meaningful connections, exceptional food and the pleasure of sharing a special bottle with the right people.
Perhaps that is the true art of living in Mallorca: knowing that the greatest luxuries are not always the rarest or most valuable things we own, but the moments we create around them.
And sometimes, all it takes is a beautiful home, a good bottle of wine and a table where nobody is in a hurry.
