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Pinot Gris seems one of those quintessential summer wines, crisp yet bursting with pear and apple hints. Childress Vineyards in Lexington produced a winner from the 2008 vintage. Pinot Gris is the grape many know as Pinot Grigio from Italy. When done in a Pinot Gris style, the wine – to my taste – seems to have more depth and richness than what you get from many Italian Pinot Grigios.

Childress Vineyards is one of North Carolina’s largest wineries and was founded by Richard Childress, NASCAR team owner, in 2004. A search for a winemaker led Childress to Mark Friszolowski, who had built a national reputation for his fine wines in Long Island, N.Y.

If Pinot Gris feels in season, so does Trout. Try this simple recipe and wine pairing.

Ingredients:

Four 6-ounce trout fillets

3/4 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

4 Tablespoons of olive oil

Italian-style salsa (prep to follow)

Lemon slices to garnish

To make the salsa:

Stir together 4 chopped plum tomatoes

½ finely-chopped small red onion

12 kalamata olives (pitted and chopped)

2 minced garlic cloves

2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons of drained capers

¼  teaspoon salt

¼ pepper

¼ cup fetal cheese

Directions:

Sprinkle filets with salt and pepper

Cook fillets in 4 Tablespoons olive oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat about 2 minutes each side or until fish flakes.

Top cooked fish with salsa when serving. Garnish with lemon.