Burger and Wine Pairing

Here are some of winery chef Jeff Starr's personal favorite pairings with recipes from the cookbook.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Buttered Pecan Buffalo Burgers with Cabernet Cranberries and Herbed Mayonnaise. It sure helps pairing a dish with wine when you use wine in the recipe. Buffalo is big and bold and you need a wine like Cabernet Sauvignon to stand up to it. The Cabernet-soaked cranberries do a terrific job of bringing out the juicy cherry notes in the wine.

Chardonnay: Choucroute Burgers with Green Apple Salsa. The green apple salsa beautifully mirrors the apple notes of Chardonnay. The wine is crisp and light—perfect for spicy, rich Italian-sausage-and-turkey burgers.

Chenin Blanc: Green Chile Chicken Burgers with Orange-Chili Mayonnaise and Three-Pepper Cheese Spread. Chenin Blanc is a wonderful picnic wine and I often serve it with cheeses and fruit. Because it is off-dry, it also pairs with mildly spicy food. This burger has all of these elements—orange, goat cheese, and chilies. So pour yourself a glass of Chenin Blanc when you make this burger.

Gewürztraminer: Beijing Burgers. When I think ginger, I think Gewürztraminer. The Chinese five-spice powder, ginger, rice, vinegar, sesame, and soy of this burger have a magical marriage with the spicy, floral exotic fruit of this wine.

Merlot: Peppered Lamb Burgers with "Hot Tomato" Jam. Merlot with tomatoes and Merlot with lamb are classic combinations. The juicy, black cherry fruit of this wine perfectly complements the richness of this burger.

Pinot Grigio: Three-Nut Turkey Burgers with Tropical Fruit Salsa. The citrusy, tropical fruit of Pinot Grigio pairs nicely with the tropical fruit salsa. And the lighter flavors won't overwhelm the mild turkey-nut burger.

Pinot Noir: Portobello Burgers. Mushrooms and Pinot Noir are a natural. That earthy quality is carried through in both. And I especially like the way the herbal quality of the wine is mirrored in these very herbaceous burgers.

Sauvignon Blanc: Fresh Salmon Burgers with Lemon-Cilantro Mayonnaise. The crisp, bright, citrus of the Sauvignon Blanc nicely mirrors the lemon in this recipe and provides a clean contrast to the rich salmon burger.

White Cabernet: Calypso Burgers. The crisp acidity of White Cabernet goes well with the hot pork sausage in these rich, spicy burgers. And the sweet fruit with blackberry nuances of the wine will cool off your mouth.

White Merlot: Spicy Summer Shrimp Burgers with Crisp Pancetta. This burger is filled with the taste of summer. It reminds me of a picnic at the beach, so enjoy it with the juicy, crisp raspberry flavors of this perfect picnic wine.

White Zinfandel: Chicken Oriental Burgers with Grilled Shiitake. White Zinfandel is a natural with mildly spicy Asian and Latin cuisines. The sweetness of the wine is nice with the spice of the burger and it's mild enough to not compete with the delicate chicken.

Zinfandel: Italian Burgers with Confetti Salsa. When you think Italian, think Zinfandel! This spicy black-pepper, fruity wine is a great complement to the garlic, tomato, onion, olives, parsley, basil, and hot Italian sausages in these burger patties and to the mildly spicy salsa served on them.

Jeffrey Starr is Culinary Director and Executive Chef of Sutter Home Winery, and has been pairing burgers and wine almost since the Cook-Off began 16 years ago. As a winery chef, his job is to create great food and wine pairings, and burgers are no exception! Jeff serves as Culinary Director for the Build a Better Burger® National Recipe Contest®. A chapter on his approach appears in the Build a Better Burger® Cookbook, along with wine pairings for each of the 70 winning recipes. Jeff's basic philosophy: if you like a certain food with a particular wine, it's a good match! more >>