This may seem totally random and completely niche.
But stick with me.
Today we're discussing what wine to pair with a bison burger.
I know, arbitrary and narrow-focused, right!?
How many people are out there eating bison this weekend and wondering what the accompanying bottle should be?
You can probably count them on one hand.
But, consider that bison is a high-protein, lean, flavourful red meat, like beef, and the audience all of a sudden gets much bigger.
So, bottom line, bison goes with red wine, as beef goes with red wine.
But, for the purposes of this column, bison is an exotic meat to tackle for a wine pairing.
So, here goes.
My wife, Kerry, and I were grocery shopping at Urban Fare in Kelowna, browsing the specialty meats in the freezer.
There were bison burgers for $9.99 each and ground bison for $17.99 a pound, along with venison and kangaroo (yes, kangaroo!)
Stay tuned, venison and kangaroo could be future wine-pairing topics for this column.
But, back to bison, aka buffalo, which used to roam the Canadian prairies by the millions and were an important food source for Indigenous people.
They also used buffalo hides for clothing and shelter.
Today, the bison that shows up in stores is farmed, but still delicious.
It's leaner and lower in both calories and cholesterol than beef.
It doesn't taste gamey, but a little sweeter than beef.
With all this in mind, Kerry and I pick out two bison burgers to barbecue at home.
The brand, by the way, is Hill's Legacy out of Coquitlam, which prepares only grass-fed, pasture-reared bison meat that's certified organic and is antibiotic and hormone free.
We ready the patties with only some salt and pepper, a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a slather of my homemade barbecue sauce.
I grill the burger as I would any other to serve and enjoy on a brioche bun with a bit of melted cheese, lettuce and mustard.
All this brings us the long way around to what red wine to serve with the ultimate bison burger.
We chose and decanted the Nk'Mip Qwam Qwmt 2019 Syrah ($43) from Osoyoos.
Nk'Mip was an inspired choice for the aforementioned Indigenous tie-in and because the winery is North America's first to be Indigenous owned (Osoyoos Indian Band).
Winemaker Justin Hall, who is Indigenous, crafted the Syrah to be fresh with a blackberry-and-violet profile, but also bold with some pepper and spice aromas and flavours.
The perfect bison pairing.
By the way, Spirit Ridge Resort, which is located right beside Nk'Mip Winery on Osoyoos Indian Band land, has an Indigenous-inspired restaurant called The Bear, The Fish, The Root & The Berry.
Of course, the resto has Nk'Mip wines and bison dishes on the menu, from a bison burger ($26), pow wow tacos with bison chili ($24), bison tri-tip steak ($42) and bison striploin ($60).
These four reds would also elevate your bison dining.
- Laughing Stock 2020 Portfolio ($53) from the Naramata Bench (a Merlot-led, Bordeaux-style blend that serves up aromas and flavours of plum, vanilla and dark chocolate)
- Laughing Stock 2020 Syrah ($40) (with a 5% splash of the Viognier white wine in it like the French do for a lifted blueberry-violet-coconut profile)
- Fort Berens 2021 Cabernet Franc ($33) from Lillooet (aromas and flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant and dried herbs)
- Fort Berens 2021 Meritage ($32) (another Merlot-led, Bordeaux-style red with a plum-and-vanilla profile)
Year of the Dragon wine
To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, Haywire Winery in Summerland has released Lunar Red ($24).
It's a juicy blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that can be sipped on its own or paired with Asian dishes like stir-fried vegetables, barbecue duck or pan-seared sablefish.
It would definitely be cultural fusion, but the Lunar Red would also be a good match with a bison burger.
The Year of the Dragon starts on Saturday, Feb. 10, based on the Chinese lunar (moon) calendar.
The people born in a Year of a Dragon are confident, powerful and smooth, just like the Haywire Lunar Red.
Partial proceeds from sales of the wine will go to the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
