Match of the week

Shake Shack burger and 2008 Quintarelli Primofiore

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on July 8 2013 at 17:00

About the last thing you'd expect at the launch of a new burger joint is to be served a £59 bottle of wine. But then Danny Meyer, more famous for his New York fine dining spots, is no ordinary restaurateur.

And if he's asking whether I'd like to try his Quintarelli Primofiore, a premium blend of Corvina and Cabernet, with one of his Shake Shack burgers, well, who am I to refuse?

It was great with the burgers as you’d expect, the fresh acidity providing a perfect counterpoint to the juicy meat and gooey cheese. One of those matches which is more than the sum of its parts.

Surprisingly the wine was not just there for the launch but actually appears on the Shake Shack drinks list along with a selection of more affordable reds including a Malbec and a Zinfandel.

The burger I liked best though - and suspect I'll end up going back for - was the ‘shroom burger - a decadent, deep fried, portabella mushroom stuffed with cheese. (Though obviously not on a 'fast day'.) That would pair well with the Quintarelli too but I think I'd settle for the rather more modest Shack Red which is made for the chain by California winery Frog's Leap. Or, even better, a shake or a float . . .

If you can't face the queues at Shake Shack (which is in the piazza in Covent Garden) just try the same combination at home. A classic cheeseburger and an Italian red. It works.

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