Salvatore Castano

The Climb

Hospitality work in Sicily gave Salvatore Castano an early read on service tempo, with the trade starting for him at 15 years old, only during summer, of course, as he was still going to school. That kind of early shift work builds pace, discipline, and an instinct for how front-of-house service actually moves. The wine side became more defined once he trained at Court of Master Sommeliers. Training then translated into a London floor role at The Dorchester, where Salvatore Castano began as Commis Sommelier. In that environment, precision is not optional: recommendations have to hold up under scrutiny, and service has to stay clean when the room is busy. It is the sort of position that hardens judgment and steadies a palate.

Today

Selection and service meet in the On-Trade Advisor and Wine Buyer role Salvatore Castano holds at Friarwood Fine Wines in London. The work sits on tasting, choosing, and representing wines, with repetition doing as much of the training as the formal exams. “Almost every day I was doing blind tasting of wines and spirits.” That routine points to the technical core of the job: palate memory, comparison, and the discipline of trusting what the senses return. In this role, Salvatore Castano keeps wine at the center of the decision-making, with hospitality still shaping the way the work is carried through.

In Their Words “Almost every day I was doing blind tasting of wines and spirits.”

Recognition

The title ASI Best Sommelier Europe & Africa is part of Salvatore Castano's record, with the win coming in 2021. It marks the level of rigor behind his formal training and the willingness to enter a demanding field on its own terms. For Salvatore Castano, the recognition sits alongside the same practical thread running through the rest of his work: early service, exacting standards, and comfort under pressure.