Skip to main content

Bunless Lamb Burgers + Northstar 2014 Merlot #MerlotMe #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Northstar Winery, one of the #MerlotMe event sponsors.
Complimentary wine was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.
However, all opinions expressed here are my own.

October has arrived. That means the air has a little bit of a chill in the morning; I actually dug jeans and a sweater out of my closet yesterday. It means squash and apples are in the markets in full force. It means I have roasts and soups on the brain. And, mostly importantly for this post, it heralds the official start of #MerlotMe month. Yes, that's right: an entire month filled with Merlot-food pairings made all the more fun with the samples of Merlot from all around that keep appearing on my doorstep!

Besides getting to play with food and wine, I love that every year I receive wines from winemakers that I have never tried before. This is the perfect case in point. I received a bottle of the 2014 Merlot from Northstar Winery* this time around.

In My Glass

I am a little surprised to realize that I don't pour wines from Washington very often. It's strange because those that I have found the opportunity to try have been lovely. And this one is no exception.

Because Northstar Winery was new to me, I did some reading and watched some of the video clips on their website. Winemaker David "Merf" Merfeld talks about how he sources from vineyards all over the state because each vineyard has its own personalities and brings something different to the table. And he thinks that the Washington climate allows Merlot to thrive. He also details what he strives to achieve. He explains, "I’m looking for layers of flavors. Fruit upfront maybe spices... and chocolate. ...Full with a long finish. I like balance."


With a blend of 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, this 2014 Merlot from Columbia Valley was smooth and silky. "It's a little too smooth," said Jake. He just meant that he was more inclined to drink it more quickly rather than sip and savor. There definitely was that!

I enjoyed the aromas of nutmeg and vanilla with more savory notes on the tongue of juniper and mint. It was silky and supple. This wine retails at $41.

On the Plate

The warm spices and woody evergreen made me think of pairing it with lamb. But, on a busy weeknight, I didn't have time to do a roasted leg of lamb. So, I looked to the ground lamb I had in the fridge and decided to whip up some quick burger patties instead. Jake and I are cutting back on breads and carbs, so our burgers were bunless; the boys got brioche buns with theirs.

Ingredients
Burgers makes 4 servings
  • 1 lb minced lamb
  • 2 T fresh cilantro
  • 1 T fresh parsley
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 t fresh lemon zest
  • 1/2 t ground cumin
  • 1/2 t ground cinnamon
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • pinch of ground cardamom

Salad Topping
  • 1/4 C chopped organic tomatoes
  • 1/4 C crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 C pitted kalamata olives, chopped
  • 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 t fresh mint, chopped
  • freshly ground salt
  • splash of olive oil
Procedure
Burger
Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well-combined. Form the meat into 4 equal size patties. Place on a parchment-lined plate and set aside until ready to cook. Cook, as desired, on a grill or on the stove with grill pan.

Salad Topping
Blend everything together in a small mixing bowl.

To Assemble
Place cooked patties on a plate. Spoon one-quarter of the topping over the burger. Serve immediately with a green salad on the side.

Find the Sponsor
on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter

*Disclosure: I received compensation in the form of wine samples for recipe development and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating childhood favorites. Thanks to Stacy of  Food Lust People Love , Sue of  Palatable Pastime , Rebekah of  Making Miracles , and Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  for coordinating this low-stress group. Today Stacy is hosting and she's given us the following prompt: "Childhood favorites. Did you have a favorite dish growing up? It could be something your family cooked or a restaurant dish, even a Chef Boyardee canned good or packaged ingredients like Rice-a Roni or mac and cheese. Recreate THAT dish from SCRATCH for this event."  Here's the #SundayFunday childhood favorites line-up... Chili Mac from A Day in the Life on the Farm Ham and Mushroom Breakfast Burritos from Making Miracles Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Homemade Wonder Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories K-Mart Sub Sandwiches from Palatable Pastime Kempakki Dosa from Sizzling Tastebuds Meat Chilly Fry by Sn