A first ever Riviera event where fine food and paired wines created a master class like no other.
Riviera owners were welcomed to an exclusive and intimate food and wine pairing experience as part of the Festival of Boating.
A journey of wine and food pairing was a new event on the calendar for the 2025 Festival of Boating at this year’s Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. It all began with the delivery of a package of Savina Lane Wines that inspired Sally Jenyns to cast her culinary spell.
In true Riviera fashion – always pushing the envelope – they invited popular chef Sally Jenyns to craft a wine-paired tasting menu for 50 Riviera owners, setting out to surprise even the most discerning palates with her signature creativity.
“Challenge accepted,” Sally echoed without hesitation.
Enter Brad Hutchings, vigneron of Savina Lane Wines, a family-owned winery located on the Granite Belt, three hours’ drive southwest of the Gold Coast and 850 metres above sea level. The challenge was put to Brad to select some of his wines and have them shipped to Sally to undertake the assignment.
Sally, who’s as intuitive as she is technical, received the handpicked box of Brad’s wines. Days later, after the ‘not-so-arduous’ task of sampling the wines, she called him – her mind already spinning with ideas. The pairing process began with a spirited conversation between two passionate artisans.
“It just… clicked,” Brad recalls. “We weren’t just pairing food and wine – we were building a story together.”
“Pairing food and wine shouldn’t be intimidating, it should be liberating and that’s exactly how this assignment and relationship felt.”
Enjoy this short film of the Daring To Pair event
A Riviera first: Dare to Pair delivered four fine wines, four masterfully paired dishes, and one extraordinary hour designed exclusively to delight our Riviera owners.
“Pairing food and wine shouldn’t be intimidating, it should be liberating and that’s exactly how this assignment and relationship felt.”
Brad Hutchings, Savina Lane Wines
Sally expressed her pride at the quality of Savina Lane Wines being produced locally, stating she was truly delighted by the calibre of wines coming from right here in Queensland. While many people typically associate great wine with regions like the Barossa or McLaren Vale, she now believes Queensland holds its own hidden gems.
“Queensland apparently has wine secrets too,” she said. “You just need the right glass to find them.”
Once the pairing menu was finalised, Sally and Brad sat down to map out a game plan for the day. With an allocated time slot of an hour to present, they refined the vision of the dishes they’d be serving, they co-ordinated timing, preparation work, and presentation details to ensure a memorable experience for the Riviera owners attending.
The result? A bold event called Dare to Pair: four wines, four meticulously crafted dishes, and one hour to sweep guests off their feet.
The Dare to Pair event day arrived on the Saturday of the boat show in May. But behind the scenes, it was anything but effortless.
“We were like swans,” Sally laughs. “Gliding on the surface but paddling madly underneath as expectant owners filled the Academy of Enjoyment marquee and took their seats.”
The Savina Lane 2023 Fiano Quintessence, paired with a delicately plated crudo of ocean trout and kingfish – an experience that brought delight to the table. (Click the arrows on the left or right of the image to view the full picture gallery)
The first dish was presented right on cue; a zesty ocean trout and kingfish crudo. With flavour bursts of bold fennel and a zing of pink grapefruit juice, these tasty morsels awakened the palate. This dish was paired with the 2023 Fiano Quintessence. Hailing from Italy, this emerging variety offers notes of ripe pear, melon and stone fruit with an elegantly balanced acidity.
Brad is philosophical about pairing, too. “Historically, wines and foods were born of the same place, the same season. Pairing happened naturally. But in today’s world, we’re surrounded by global abundance – it’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed.”
“That’s why moments of guided discovery like Dare to Pair are so powerful. “It’s a revelation when someone experiences how wine can truly elevate food – and vice versa.”
Still, not everyone seems to arrive to a wine tasting with an open mind. “People walk into our cellar door and tell me they will only ever drink Chardonnay,” Brad chuckles. “That’s like walking into a restaurant and saying you only eat pasta – it’s so limiting.” Yet these same guests often leave transformed – wide-eyed, palates awakened – having tasted something they’d never have chosen on their own.
Passion on every plate and in every pour – Brad Hutchings brings his wines to life while Sally Jenyns plates soul-warming coconut curry prawns in a celebration of flavour.
“It’s something I learned during my time as a private chef on charter boats - that kind of silence during dining is a sure sign your guests are truly immersed in the experience. It's reverence.”
Sally Jenyns, Chef
The second course soon arrived. Coconut curry prawns, bathed in a creamy yet punchy sauce dancing with cumin, turmeric and ginger. Accompanied with the full-bodied Petit Manseng, a heavier white which holds its own flavour-wise, filling the palate with quince and pineapple.
And then, a moment during the event Sally explained that she will never forget: the entire room fell silent.
“It’s something I learned during my time as a private chef on charter boats – that kind of silence during dining is a sure sign your guests are truly immersed in the experience.”
“That quiet moment is sacred. It’s reverence,” Sally recalls.
The silence soon broke and conversation swelled as curiosity bloomed. Guests leaned in, asked questions. Some were astounded by the unusual wines – grapes they’d never heard of; from a region they didn’t expect.
“Less than one percent of Australia’s total grape crush comes from emerging varieties,” Brad explains. “At Savina Lane Wines, we grow an impressive seven of them.
“Dare to Pair was an invitation to wander off the beaten path and taste wines you may have never considered,” Brad says. “Wine has this beautiful power to transport you. Put on some music, close your eyes and suddenly, you’re in Italy. It’s the easiest way to travel,” he muses.
As guests savoured the moment, spiced lamb met its match in the elegant Graciano – Lady of Spain – a pairing rich in flavour and full of personality.
As guests immersed themselves fully in the experience, the next course was presented: a warmly spiced lamb, delicately layered with hummus and a touch of yoghurt, its finish lifted by a lingering zing of garlic and preserved lemon. Paired alongside was a glass of Graciano – Lady of Spain; its supple tannins and elegant notes of black pepper and dark chocolate reflected 14 months of careful maturation in French oak, capturing both depth and distinction in every sip.
“From the flirty Lady of Spain to the enigmatic Wild Fandango, Brad’s wines are more like characters – with a backstory, individual personalities and each demanding the right companion on the plate,” Sally commented.
“There’s a real synergy between Riviera’s owners and the Savina Lane philosophy – both value quality, uniqueness and authenticity. It was a joy to bring them together for this memorable event.”
“I had always heard of food and wine pairing, yet never truly experienced what it can do.”
Mark, Riviera Owner
Riviera 6800 Sport Yacht owner from Perth, Mark, gushed about his experience at the pairing event.
“Something really magic happened experiencing the Dare to Pair event. I had always heard of food and wine pairing, yet never truly experienced what it can do,” Mark shared.
“The Savina Lane Petit Manseng is my new favourite wine and my next trip away to Queensland will surely involve a trip to Brad’s winery.”
“I was truly blown away, and that doesn’t happen easily,” Mark laughed.
Finishing with a traditional cheese course, a serving of a goat’s milk cheese Pecorino Romano cleansed the palate and hummed in unison with the Montepulciano – Force of Nature, offering red plum, blackberry and dried thyme aromas.
Yet even as glasses emptied, the room stayed full. Conversations lingered. Minds opened. As a cheers to the day, a round of applause were offered, guests lingered well beyond the scheduled end, eager to speak with Brad and learn more about his wines and talk to Sally about her recipes.
As Sally took a final moment to take in what had just been accomplished in a mere hour, taking her Dare to Pair guests on a journey of the senses, no passports required, she whispered silently to herself.
“Mission accomplished!”
To discover more about the full range of Savina Lane Wines featured during the Dare to Pair event, please visit https://savinalanewines.com.au/
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