Wine Pairings for Any Burger
Make the most of your burger with these terrific pairings.
By Erin Henderson
Do you remember the movie Sideways?
The 2004 drama-rom-com staring Paul Giamatti as Miles, a bitter, lonely, wine snob who takes a trip to California wine country with his hapless, playboy bestie?
That movie dealt a blow to Merlot that the poor grape is still trying to overcome 20 years later. But that’s not the point of this post.
In one of the final scenes in the movie, Miles, clad in a tux, sits alone in a roadside burger shack, downing a 1961 Cheval Blanc (roughly priced at $5,600 CDN in today’s dollars) from a paper bag with his cheeseburger.
Cheval Blanc, maybe somewhat confusingly, is a red wine from Bordeaux. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which would indeed be terrific with a cheeseburger.
Now, don’t start panicking that in order to have a sublime burger and wine pairing, you must dig into your children’s education accounts (although, if there ever was such an occasion…)
When pairing with a burger, as always, it comes down to flavouring, fat content, and even the cooking method. Ergo, a Cheval Blanc, no matter how illustrious, is not necessarily the answer for each and every burger.
But, there is a wine that will do.
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Classic, All-American
Loaded with all the sauces – ketchup, mustard, “secret,” and topped with everything from pickles to onions to lettuce, this is a buffet between a bun.
Typically beef burgers have about a 20% fat ratio, making them rich and delicious, so I recommend a red wine with a bit of heft, but enough upfront fruit to also offer lift to the decadence of the meal.
I would make like Miles and go with a Cabernet Franc. Ontario has fantastic options, as does Loire in France, Oregon, and New Zealand.
Because Cab Franc leans to the savoury side, the chaos of all the vegetable and pickled toppings are taken care of, while the juicy, dark berry fruit of the wine compliments the beef patty. Not to mention the fat of the burger will smooth out any tannic grip in the wine.
Cheddar Cheeseburger
Cheese adds more salt and fat to an already rich patty, so I’m inclined to reach for levity in a wine pairing, rather than pile on the heavy. A good quality Lambrusco – a sparkling red wine from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region made with grapes of the same name – is a terrific option. Dry (there are some that are sweet, but you want dry for this), and loaded with enticing flavours of dark, brambleberry fruit, mulling spices, and black peppercorn, there’s a lip-smacking acidity and energy to Lambrusco to mop up all the extra decadence of the burger.
Bacon Burger
Bacon, whether on top of the burger, or in it, acts like cheese, bringing even more weight to the party. Salty and smoky, with another layer of protein, I would pair an equally smoky, full bodied Syrah, which has flavours of black pepper and bacon fat to completely compliment the burger.
Turkey Burger
Regardless of whether your turkey burger is made of lean, white meat, or decadent, dark meat, Gamay is the go-to for me for turkey. The main grape of Beaujolais, Gamay is light and lean, with red cranberry and wild strawberry fruit, subtle tannins, and bright acid. Gamay does double time, its acid cutting through the rich dark meat, while its fruit boosts the neutral white meat.
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Salmon Burger
Salmon has a lot of fat. It’s good-for-you fat, but it’s fat, nonetheless. Therefore, we can’t wimp out on a wine that doesn’t have the same voluptuous body. Chardonnay may be the obvious call, but it’s an obvious one for a reason: it’s got the buttery, creamy texture that makes an excellent dance partner for the fish. Go for a Chard from a cooler climate like Ontario, New York’s Finger Lakes, or northern Italy, which typically boasts brighter acidity and less oak than many warm climate regions.
Black Bean Burger
I really like how rich rosé pairs with black beans. Wines with some girth, like those of Tavel, which are so pink they’re nearly pale red; we don’t want baby pink, wispy wines for this pairing. The bold flavours of Tavel and similarly styled rosés, offer ripe raspberry, white cherry, and watermelon which enliven the earthy, starchy black beans, and the wine’s medium body can stand up to the density of the burger. Since the burger doesn’t have any fatty animal protein, we don’t need to worry about a wine with tannin, but the acidity of the rosé brings a zippy energy. It’s a delightful pairing.
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