Home-made burgers and a white wine. Not an obvious match if you followed convention, but why not?

Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2005, €9.99, 14.5% ABV

Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2005 

  • Smell: Regardless of what the label says it smells like, I think it smells intensely creamy, floral and somewhat nutty. It’s almost overpowering, like when you walk into a room that has star gazers you’ve bought for the missus – hits you smack in the nose.
  • Taste: strong oak with a lot of spiciness at the end, a lot like a Gewurztraminer. There’s also a bit of melon and apricot going on in there somewhere, a lot of different complex flavours battling it out. Perhaps battling is the wrong word as they all seem to get on quite well together.
  • Verdict: As a red wine drinker, this really appeals to me. It’s not subtle, there’s not much elegance or finesse, but it’s flavoursome, complex (loads going on) and memorable. The litmus test, would I buy it again? Yes, I would.
  • Bought in SuperQuinn, Blanchardstown and drank it with my home-made burgers.

Home-made burgers

I don’t do measurements, so here’s the rough recipe for two generous burgers. In a bowl mix the following

  • Minced beef
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 weetabix (had no breadcrumbs one day and just went with it)
  • Decent bit of ground cumin
  • Decent bit of ground coriander
  • Decent bit of Garam Masala
  • Sprinkle of dried chilli flakes
  • Wholegrain mustard 

Pop in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°. With about 2-3 minutes to go, top with cheese (in my case I use a nice strong blue cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola) Once out, top with the likes of tomatoes, pickle, red onion marmalade, Bick’s Burger relish or ketchup. Serve with home-made oven chips (peel and slice spuds, steamed/par-boiled for ten minutes and put on a well oiled oven tray for 30 minutes)