In comparison to beer, wine is often seen in people’s mind as a drink to go with fine food, interesting conversations, romantic settings, complex debates or chic dinners.
I won’t try to prove the opposite but this very perception that some people have of wine drinkers is probably one of the reasons why more and more youngsters are turning to beer. It seems sometimes that you have to be highly educated to drink wine and that if you can’t talk properly about it you are screwed, especially in front of a sexy crowd.
Thankfully, for the future of wine, all of us don’t think in this way and it is still possible to find wine in public gardens and at the corner of a bar counter. A good example of this is the burger. Close your eyes and think of it: there you see a pint of fresh lager or a can of Coke – hum, I can see you salivate! Right, nothing wrong about that, beer and burger pairing are one of my favorites. Having lived in London for a while, I would also say this is one of the city’s specialties.
I went for a burger marathon during my last weekend there and would advise you to try the burger from Le Grenadier pub: An old fashioned setting in the heart of Belgravia, a posh neighborhood that brings to mind the image of proper British gentlemen, an amazing piece of ground beef in a French bread style bun and you’ll wonder if the burger has been invented by Americans!
So when you think of beer, you think of this junk-food-not-so-junky-after-all, of a pub style crowd, an outdoor markets, and of informal, relaxing and fun moments: everything you need on a Sunday afternoon! But wine can be fun, informal and “sur le pouce” kind of drink as well.
Truly, as James Laube from the Wine Spectator says, hamburgers can be challenging with wine, whether it’s the mustard or the spicy BBQ sauce. But I have asked around and found a few wines that would be the perfect match for your burger meal.
Good wines to match with a burger:
People at Borough Wines (Borough Market advices): – Chateau Grezan Pinot Noir 2008, Languedoc. Concentrated fruit of redcurrants. Light bodied & elegant with a dry finish £8
or for something a little heavier - Chateau Grezan, Faugères Coeur du Gamme, Typical aromas of small red fruits & animal sweat. Again concentrated fruit and supple (£10).
Jean-Christophe from Crus in Paris suggests you choose the 0′Podium set from O’vineyard. In this set, I recommand the French Oak O’Podium with its subtle aging profile, brings the wine to the structured level of a traditionally oak-aged wine. Taste the difference for yourself!
Sonadora, wine lover in Virginia and Marycressler in Portland both like Zinfandels with their burgers. Pick the one from Mauritson, Bella & Inspiration that are available in the US. Mary also advises a Malbec or with a lighter turkey burger a rich Chardonnay. As you can see on her blog, she is big on white wines in the summertime!
And I of course would recommend a Moulin-à-Vent from Domaine Monrozier (2006) that you can purshase at the crus shop in Paris or one from the Château des Jacques (2006). This wine is structured and has a body full of mature red fruit flavours. You’ll like the spicy and wild rose nose. This wine is Al Dente and will match well with your burger. If none of them is available make sure you pick a Moulin à Vent that has been aged in oak barrels.
I also tried a Zinfandel-Shiraz (2005), from Fetzer Vineyards in California that has a touch of black peppers and a spicy finish. You can find it in France at your nearest Nicolas wine store.
Le Grenadier
Address: Wilton Row, Belgravia, London, SW1X 7NR More information @ http://www.pubs.com/pub
Le Grenadier also serves wine, ask for a burger and wine pairing and they’ll certainly advise you well. Oh and they also absolutely Love the French. This can also happen in London!
And this fun article on geek speak wine conversation on Murphy-Goode’s Blog: http://www.winetwo.net/profiles/blogs/talkin-wine-not-geekspeak
5 Comments
But who always wanted to go for a (dried out) burger and beer at Wetherspoon last year in London miss, when did this change then?
A decent burger can work with a number of different varietals, Cab will work depending on the toppings....once you start getting into avocado like I do though, things get more complicated!
Sjoerd, don't get me wrong. Wetherspoon burgers are one of my "péché mignon", they are also a serious myth, but certainly not the next to enter the Michelin Guide. Let's not forget the context!
Mark, I agree, burgers have a million match! I still didn't try the cab yet, it should be my next meal. Good luck with your avocado wine pairing, drop me a line when you found the best perfect match!
I think you also have to be educate to drink beer, even if the most of the beer drinkers drink it as a coke.
You can check this website:
www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=180700
Yes I agree, thanks for the link Regis, it is very impressive. Are you the one that wrote this article? In this case we should meet, I want to learn!