Finding balance in unusual places

It was 10:30am or so on a Sunday morning, third set. As I stepped out of the shade into the sun and up to the service line, glancing at my opponents on the other side of the tennis net, a sudden wave rolled over me. At that moment, tangibly and explicitly, I felt the warmth of the Palo Alto sun, and at the same time the freshness from the cool of the morning. An hour earlier, it had been too crisp, an hour later - hot. As the wave of perfect comfort reached my consciousness, it became distracting. Bouncing the tennis ball on the service line, I thought of balance - a perfect balance between hot and cold, a moment when you are both pampered by the sun and energized by the fresh air. And quickly, my mind jumped to ... Riesling.

So there I was, serving, down 2 sets, fighting for the third, and I thought of ... Riesling??!!!

That was it - that feeling of balance was the best way I'd ever related to Riesling, where luscious, lazy sweetness and refreshing, energizing sourness are in a constant tug risking to offset the ever fleeting balance that makes Riesling - especially German Riesling - so special to me.

At that moment, two of my favorite passions - tennis and wine - came together in my mind into an indescribable feeling of harmony. 5 seconds later, I served.

I lost that tennis game. And I walked away happy.