With this post, I will go back to a main course pairing with a common food -the burger. Of course, many of you summer burger eaters (especially the grillers out there) will say that you already have the perfect pairing – beer. What’s better than burgers & beer? While I will not attempt to dispute that statement, I would like to suggest a possible alternative. We happen to prefer the “vegan” Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean burger, but if you prefer ground beef, I will talk about what pairs best with that one as well. We also like to add Hannaford Pepper Jack cheese, as well as some sautéed mushrooms & stir-fried peppers and onions. I’m sure you also have some preferred condiments. So, I will talk about a few alternatives further down. All of this food can be purchased at the Clinton Hannaford, for very reasonable prices.
The wine that pairs best with our burger is a classic Tempranillo, so the Campo Viejo Roija Gran Reserva would be my recommendation. If you prefer the traditional ground beef burger, then I would recommend a Napa Cab. Sauv., hence the Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon. Depending on what you like to add to your “beef” burger, I might recommend an Argentinian Malbec, like the Llama, Belasco de Baquedano Old Vine Malbec I profiled back in April. Each of these can be had at Clinton Wine & Spirits at either the top end of Billy’s or the low end of Steve’s price range.
Why the Tempranillo with our burger? First, it’s a very spicy burger; then we add Pepper Jack cheese (more spice). So, at this point you are pretty high up on the spicy scale, like Mexican food; hence a good blended Spanish Tempranillo would pair well. For the beef burger, you want something to offset the red meat & juicy fat of the beef; hence the Cab. Sauv. Nothing pairs better with a good steak or good red meat than a Napa Cab. Finally, if your preferred “add-ons” tend towards the spicy at all (like Pepper Jack cheese), then you might want to go with an Argentinian Malbec. It splits the difference between the Tempranillo and the Cab. Sauv. Otherwise, just stick with the Cab. Sauv. If your burger uses particularly “unusual” meat or add-ons, just drop me a line and I will let you know what I think will pair best.
That should do it for this blog post. Next time I will go back to a more general Education one. Be sure to check it out. Cheers!