The other day I was shopping at my local grocery store and decided I felt like making fish. I typically buy my seafood elsewhere, but the urge overtook me and I found myself in the seafood department. Once there, I quickly remembered why I take the time to travel across town to the fish market. Instead of finding perfect specimens from the deep, I found countless fillets that looked like contents of a Silver John’s box. When did we, as consumers, start shopping for fish in terms of what’s white or “I’ll take the Salmon”? Somewhere along the way, we lost our connection to the sea and forgot what a delight it was to purchase a whole fish.

For most of you, I would suspect you never considered, let alone bought, a whole fish. This fact is unfortunate and I think its time to start experimenting. If this is your first time, start slow and go with an easy bet, Trout. Trout is delicious, whether it is brown, rainbow, or silver, and at an average cost of $6-$8/lbs, it is a much better value than its saltwater cousin, Salmon. Just make sure that you ask your fish monger to scale and gut the fish before you take it home; believe me, that’s a task that will have you sleeping on the couch.

Once you’re ready to cook your trout, you have two options: fillet it or cook it whole. Filleting has its appeal because you can save the bones and make a delicious fumet, (French for fish stock), which is great for making sauces. However, if you are unsure of your knife skills, roast it whole. I like this option, not because of my filleting skills, but because it is easy and allows you to inject tons of flavor into the fish by simply stuffing the cavity with aromatics like ginger, thyme and lemon slices.

With your roasted trout, I would open a crisp, acidic white wine, with good depth. For this pairing, I chose Domaine Zind Humbrecht’s 2005 Pinot d’Alsace. This wine is a blend of 70% Auxerrois and 30% Pinot Blanc. Auxerrois is a grape that is traditionally used in Alsatian blends, like Edelzwicker. It is also used to add complexity to Pinot Blanc. Zind Humbrecht brings it to the forefront in their 2005 Pinot d’Alsace, where its honeysuckle flavors shine. The Pinot Blanc adds great acidity, and a crisp citrus bite that plays nice with our trout. If you have trouble finding this wine, don’t worry, there are alternatives. Any Alsatian Pinot Blanc or Oregonian Pinot Gris will work beautifully.

Interestingly, Auxerrois is a grape that causes great confusion to many because its name is often used to describe other types of grapes. So I will try to clear up the confusion, Auxerrois Gris is a synonym for Pinot Gris in Alsace. Where as Auxerrois Blanc was the name given to Chardonnay in Alsace before it became a famous wine. Further adding to the confusion, in Cahors, France, natives often refer to the red-wine grape Malbec as Auxerrois. However, today it’s a safe bet that anything white labeled Auxerrois is the infamous grape of confusion.

Now that you have your pairing; Bon Appetite and Cheers!

Editors Note: This is the second installment in a series of Food and Wine Pairings by Chef Nick Benz.  Last week he covered a seasonal take on Sloppy Joe’s and Zinfandel.  Stay tuned for more deliciousness…