Pro Pairings combine a wine with a local recipe. Our first stop: The Builders Arms Hotel, Fitzroy Melbourne, Australia with Payten & Jones VV Chardonnay 2018
The Payten & Jones winery is run by Behn Payten and Troy Jones. Based in Healesville in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. They are just an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s centre, traffic permitting. The Builders Arms Hotel is something of an institution, founded in 1853.
Jones says: “Like all long-standing hospitality and wine producer relationships, it is always about the people. A local Yarra Valley lad is now doing the wine buying and looking after the development of the beverage staff. What I love about the Builders is its casual front bar. You can just pop in for a cheeky pint and burger. But there also is some serious food and wine, from easy to drink to some serious imports right the way through to orange and natural styles.” Payten adds that “pairing wine with food is part of our DNA. Engaging with food and fresh produce and restaurateurs is where we get so much of our energy. There is a pretty big symbiotic relationship. We get a lot of somms in the vineyards, helping us pick. We feed off each other, and we cross-pollinate.”
Andrew McConnell, chef and owner of the Builders Arms hotel, has shared his Signature Fish Pie recipe with us, a perfect pairing with Payten & Jones VV Series Chardonnay 2018.
