Burger Buddies

It’s prime grilling season, and if you’d prefer a glass of wine rather than a brew with that sizzling burger, there are plenty of options. It has a lot to do with flavors the toppings lend to the mix.

Favorite go-to reds? “All-American hamburgers go well with all-American wines like Zinfandel,” suggest Karen Page and her husband, Andrew Dornenburg, James Beard Award-winning co-authors of What to Drink with What You Eat and The Flavor Bible. Beaujolais also is a good choice with a hamburger, especially topped with ketchup. If you like some mustard on that burger, pop open a bottle of sparkling wine.

Add some different flavors in various veggie, cheese, and condiment toppings and the following wines can play nice:

  • Classic lettuce, tomato, raw onion, ketchup, and mayonnaise: Aussie Shiraz or California Syrah can stand up to this flavor combo.
  • Pickle relish and yellow mustard: White Zinfandel’s soft and fruity characters offer balance. You may also like sparkling wine. If sweet pickle relish is on its own, try Gewürztraminer.
  • Bold cheeses, such as blue cheese or sharp cheddar: Cabernet Sauvignon (A side note: I’ve heard topping a burger with blue cheese can lend a dry-aged steak flavor to it—another vote for that Cab.)
  • Bacon and cheddar: Spanish Rioja has its own smoky flavor that goes well with the bacon.
  • Grilled onions and mustard: White Zinfandel’s soft fruit flavor balances the onions and tart condiments.

Here’s to making your summer cookouts sizzle! Cheers!

Mary Subialka is the editor of Real Food and Drinks magazines, covering the flavorful world of food, wine, and spirits. She rarely meets a chicken she doesn’t like, and hopes that her son, who used to eat beets and Indian food as a preschooler, will one day again think of real food as more than something you need to eat before dessert and be inspired by his younger brother, who is now into trying new foods.