My summer wines du jour

Here in West Central Florida, at the height of summer's heat and soggy humidity, Riesling and Pinot Grigio are my wines du jour.

Several summers ago, as I looked over the wine options in a liquor store, I asked the owner to recommend a wine for lounging on the pool deck or spending a lazy evening on my upstairs patio getting my butt whipped at Scrabble.

He told me his wife likes to drink a 2003 Schmitt Sohne Riesling Auslese, with a few frozen watermelon cubes in her glass.

Really, watermelon in wine?

I went home, tried it and loved it. The watermelon adds a light, fruity flavor to Riesling, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blancs.

Here's all you do: simply cut your watermelon into small cubes and freeze them.

The pairing of white wine and frozen fruit proves that wine doesn't always have to be taken seriously to be delicious.