It’s burger time! I’ve got a great recipe for your summer parties.
A couple of weeks ago, I joined a few friends and family for wine tasting in Paso Robles, California. Determined to land with our upturned glasses in some of the innovative wine-making houses in Tin City—about 20 warehouse wineries in downtown Paso—we also wanted to visit a more traditional vineyard known for a big cab.
In Tin City, we anchored first at Field Recordings Winery, known as the first American winemaker to put wine in the can. They were also first to set up shop in Tin City. We enjoyed two tastings, first four bubblies and then a round of four whites. I would have bought all eight of these wines if I had the budget of, say, the CEO of Nvidia. I did come away with the first sparkling we tasted, “The Shake.” At 7% alcohol, this is the perfect wine for brunch or a long lunch. There is the smell of beer on the nose—the bottle has a snap cap. I’m thinking it’s a great starter for the 4th of July party. The winery features some very unusual whites. Pinot Minuer, anyone? It’s one of the three grapes used in Champagne. I also picked up the 2023 “Shell Creek,” which is made from Valdiguie, a red wine grape from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, where it is generally known by the other name, Gros Auxerrois.
There’s a bit of a scandalous background to this grape in California, where it has been known as Napa Gamay or Gamay 15. Until 1980, Napa Gamay was believed to be the Gamay of Beaujolais, but after some folks did a genetic analysis on the grape genome, the name Napa Gamay was banned in the U.S. Confusingly, both the Pinot noir clone Gamay Beaujolais and Valdiguié were sometimes also labeled as "Gamay Beaujolais" until that name was banned on labels in April 2007. (See Wikipedia article.)
Field Recording’s version is a bright and happy white.
For our traditional watering house, we chose Justin, not just because none of us were that familiar with this Paso institution built on a big cab but also because the winery sits way out in the North Adelaide AVA, some pretty wild, generous California wine country. The road to Justin winds through hilly vineyard after vineyard and olive orchards. It must be one of the most charming wine trails I’ve driven. At Justin, we were seated at a wine tasting on the western patio and also chose to have lunch. Most popular was their Justification Burger. The winery lists the recipe on their website, which I have copied here. Hesitant to leave, we walked away with several justified “Right Angles,” a Bordeaux blend that unusually includes Petite Syrah, for $40/bottle. A great price, and a happy time.
The Justification Burger
Ingredients
Burger:
• 4 ea Brioche bun
• 4 tablespoons Butter
• 4 ea 1/2 pound (8 ounces) Burger patties
• 1/2 cup Arugula
• 1 teaspoon Pedrox Ximenez (sherry or red wine vinegar)
• 4 slices (2 ounces ea) Brie cheese / triple cream brie style cheese (we use St. Angel)
• 4 ea 1/4" thick slices Heirloom vine-ripened tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons Chive aioli (or mayonnaise with chives)
• 3/4 cup Bacon jam (recipe below)
• To taste Kosher salt
• To taste Freshly cracked pepper
Bacon Jam:
• 4 cups Applewood smoked bacon (chopped)
• 1 ea Onion (minced)
• 1 tablespoon Garlic (minced)
• 2 cups Vegetable stock
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Honey
• 1 teaspoon Espelette (we use from Le Sanctuaire, but you can sub this spice with a mild chili or BBQ seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Directions
Burger:
• Generously butter buns, toast on a flat surface/pan or on grill
• Meanwhile, season burgers with salt and freshly cracked pepper and grill until rare
• Add the cheese so that it begins to warm; continue cooking meat until medium rare or to your liking
• Season arugula with Pedro Ximenez vinegar
• Build Burger:
• Slather both sides of bun with chive aioli and place arugula on bottom bun
• Add a slice of tomato and beef patty
• Slather top bun with a generous amount of bacon jam
• Enjoy!!
Bacon Jam:
• In a large pot over low heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy
• Drain all fat except for 2 tablespoons, add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender
• Add the bacon and the vegetable stock, honey, sugar
• Cook until the liquid has dissolved and bacon is sticky like jam
• Season with Espelette or BBQ seasoning to your liking
• Can be stored for 2 weeks or longer in the freezer
Yesterday was the solstice. I can officially wish you a happy summer!