Roberto Duran MS swaps 67 Pall Mall for new wine room in Singapore
Roberto Duran, Spain’s first Master Sommelier, tells Nimmi Malhotra what’s next after clinching the coveted title earlier this year.
Roberto Duran has finally earned the title he has pursued for a decade, becoming Spain’s first ever Master Sommelier earlier this year.
Based in Singapore, Duran – formerly the head sommelier at 67 Pall Mall Singapore – is the wine director at The Ebb and Flow Group, which includes Temper Wine Room & Lounge.
His journey to the title was arduous and long, spanning two continents, multiple exam attempts, an untimely Covid-19 infection days before a tasting exam and a complete restart of the Master Sommelier programme.
But Duran is never one to give up. It took fierce determination and stubborn grit to stay the course. Along the way, he relied on his repertoire of 19,000 flash cards, long-distance runs and a new sport to stay in the zone: padel.
“When I study, I need to move. I can’t stay still in front of a computer,” he says. The theory part of the Master Sommelier exam demands 55 minutes of uninterrupted concentration for rapid-fire questions and answers. “I found it difficult,” he admits and turned to his daily runs to sharpen his focus. “Every day I ran through the theory questions during my 15km run. Over time, I trained my mind to think with clarity and stay focused for more than 55 minutes.”
Then he turned to sports to sharpen his reflexes. “I read somewhere that padel helps you to become more precise in a very short time and trains your mind to make fast decisions,” he said. Success soon followed, and Duran credits padel for his sharp decision-making skills this year.
He describes becoming Spain’s first Master Sommelier as a “huge responsibility”. But he wants to share his success. “I believe that being the first means it’s my duty to help others reach that level,” he says.
Since his time at 67 Pall Mall in London, Roberto has guided more than 25 sommeliers to achieve Advanced Certification and continues to help emerging sommeliers towards higher levels of qualification. His mentorship has earned him a nickname among his teams in Singapore and London: ‘papi’ or ‘papito’, Spanish for little daddy.
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Duran originally studied Economics in Madrid, not hospitality. During time in Majorca, he found himself working with Miguel Angel Prieto, Best Sommelier of Spain in 1997, and he was instantly hooked. “Prieto asked me to take a couple of years’ break, and well, I am still on that break,” he recalls with a grin. In 2015, Duran came full circle, earning the same title as his first mentor when he was named Best Sommelier of Spain.
Over his 17-year career, Duran worked across Spain, London and Singapore, with notable stops at Michelin-starred Miramar in Barcelona with Chef Paco Pérez, Joël Robuchon in Singapore and a decade-long tenure with 67 Pall Mall in both London and Singapore.
Duran wants to create lists that invite people into his world. “A great wine list should have a clear personality but still be easy to navigate,” he says, “like mixing familiar names with a few curveballs — wines that spark curiosity without overwhelming people.” He is also moving away from complex, jargon-filled notes that distract his guests, preferring “just honest, helpful descriptions that guide people toward something they’ll enjoy”.
Now, as wine director at Singapore’s newest dining concept – Temper Wine Room & Lounge – he curates a 2,100-bottle and 250 by-the-glass wine programme guided by mood and instinct, rather than rigid structure.
“The next level of wine service in Singapore is all about breaking down barriers, making wine feel exciting, personal, and completely unpretentious,” he says. So, it’s not just about knowing your vintages or pouring perfectly, but more of “reading the room and genuinely engaging guests”.
Duran is now working closely with the Cava and Jerez DOs, as well as the University of Barcelona, to drive awareness of Spanish wines worldwide, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.
And having achieved the Master Sommelier title, he is far from finished. Next on the list is the Best Sommelier of Europe competition next year and, beyond that, the coveted Master of Wine title.
“Why stop?” he laughs. “You have to keep going. It might take decades, but I’ve got all the time. It’s the journey that makes you grow.”
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