Burger Wines

   It's summer and you're probably grilling hamburgers. Some people might go for a beer with the burger, but I'll suggest you have a beer while grilling, then switch to a red wine for dinner. Since we're having an inexpensive dinner, let's not go with any $50 wines.

image from sonomamag.com

   We'll go with mostly lighter reds, not just for the lighter taste of a burger, but because it might just be hot outside and a big ol' heavy red wine just doesn't taste that good with heat and humidity. Any of these wine can be put in the fridge for a few minutes to get a slight chill, if you wish. For my wine suggestions below, I don't really know the distribution on all of them. If you're in California, great. If it's Utah or Pennsylvania, well good luck, you already know.

Barbera

   Barbera is a lighter red that pairs well with meaty dishes and pizza, and would love it if you put sliced tomato on your burger.
   The Sierra Foothills, Amador and El Dorado Counties, put out lots of good Barbera, most of it not too badly priced. You can find a few for under $20, with the premium ones usually in the $30s. There are several Sonoma County wineries with Barbera, usually running from the mid-$30s to mid-$40s. Also, Mendocino County makes several. In fact, a few Sonoma wineries get their fruit from Mendocino, such as Portalupi and Jacuzzi. There's maybe a dozen other wineries making Barbera in Sonoma County. A couple I'm familiar with are Orsi and Seghesio.

Cabernet Franc

   For those looking for a Bordeaux-type wine this one is the lightest though it will be difficult to find something inexpensive from California. CF is great with beef and toppings such as grilled jalapeño, tomatoes, and mushrooms.
   A few Sonoma County wineries with award-winning Cab Franc that isn't too pricey are Alexander Valley Vineyards, Benziger, deLormier (from the excellent Ramazzotti Vyd), Imagery, and Pedroncelli.

Carignane

   The first thing I'll say about Carignane/Carignan [care-ig-yahn] is good luck finding any! And that's too bad, as it's an excellent food wine. It will work with stronger cheeses, grilled onions, and tomatoes.
   There are at least a couple dozen Sonoma County wineries making Carignane, but I don't know of many that are in the burger price range; Carol Shelton and Trentadue are a couple.
  

Grenache

   Grenache, something you might call Pinot Noir lite, goes with smokey, savory, grilled foods including most BBQ sauces. Sounds pretty perfect for burgers, huh?
   Benovia, Jeff Cohn, Kokomo, Mathis, Meeker, Ramey, Unti, and others put out a Grenache. In fact, many parts of California grow and produce Grenache. It's a nice sipping wine or food wine that doesn't get a lot of recognition.

Pinot Noir

   Pinot Noir is very versatile with lighter dishes and would be fine with mushrooms, onions, or bacon condiments. The only issue with Pinot is most decent ones are out of our burger price range.
   It's a bit difficult to find a good one for under $45 anymore, but a few Sonoma County options are Balletto Russian River, Martin Ray Sonoma Coast, Schug Sonoma Coast. From Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, look for Husch and Navarro Wineries. The Russian River Valley of Sonoma County makes lots of Pinot so look around for something in your price range. Also, Monterrey and Santa Barbara Counties and Willamette Valley in Oregon.

Zinfandel

   Zinfandel is the medium-bodied all around wine for grilled foods and stands up to something slightly spicy or slightly sweet.
   There are a bazzillion (that's a real word, ask any six-year-old) Zins from Sonoma County and a bunch more from Amador and Lodi. You'll also find it from Paso Robles, Mendocino, and Napa. There are really too many excellent Zins to mention. Just check the alcohol levels because some can creep up well over 15% and that might be too much for a summer weather wine or a decent food wine. If I was going to pick a Zin blindly, I'd go for one grown in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. These tend to be lighter, tarter, higher acid, making them good summer food wines.

image from themanual.com

Notes

   There are still different ways to top and condiments to add to your hamburger that might change the flavor a bit. That's all okay. I would suggest sautéing onions rather than having them raw, as that's a strong flavor for a wine to overcome. I usually slice the onion up, wrap in it foil with a bit of olive oil, and cook the onions on the grill. Turkey burgers want a lighter wine, as Grenache or Pinot. For veggie burgers, probably anything on the list, though Zinfandel might overwhelm them a bit depending on toppings.