Odd Pair: Watermelon and Loredona Riesling

The only thing better than a cold slice of sweet, ripe, seedless watermelon is a slice of sweet, ripe, seedless watermelon paired with a nice, chilled glass of Riesling. Yes, summer has officially arrived.

Alone, watermelon is a treat like no other - memories of backyard barbecues with the family, beach trips and sticky hands are some of the reasons we all think fondly of the summer fruit in addition to the sweet refreshment it offers. Paired with a drier Riesling like this Loredona, the two combine forces like Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi: They're beautiful, whimsical and always interesting.

The Riesling, with a pleasant mouthful of tropical fruit flavors, combines its tart acidity with a hint of sweetness, which both complements the sugary watermelon and cuts through to reveal the refreshing aspects of the fruit. Contradictory, maybe. Delicious, definitely.

On the other hand, the sweetness of the watermelon allows the acidity and tropical flavors of the Riesling to shine. Things I noticed after the watermelon joined the party: a grassy, herbaceous quality as well as a buttery, smooth finish (in addition to all the other goodness that was already there before).

In the words of Jack Johnson, "it's always better when we're together," and I can only imagine he was writing of Riesling and her watermelon lover.