The 2019 Kung Fu Girl Riesling out of the Ancient Lakes appellation of Washington State is the brainchild of Charles Smith. One night, Charles was eating Chinese takeout and watching a fight scene in a notorious martial arts film when he had an idea: a killer white wine made to be paired with Asian food. Just like that, Kung Fu Girl was born.
This wine is 100% Riesling and has been described by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate as, “Juicy and lively, with lots citrus blossom, lychee and a touch of lime… [this Riesling] is medium-bodied, vibrant and crisp on the palate, with terrific purity, integrated acidity and a great finish.” This Charles Smith wine see 2 months in the barrel on lees to round out this great summer sipper. The vineyard is owned by the Milbrandt’s. Evergreen Vineyard was planted in 1998 by Jerry Milbrandt, the vineyard rows lie along a stretch of steep cliffs above the Columbia River in the Ancient Lakes AVA. A cooler site due to river influence, the nitrogen-poor soils are composed of fragmented basalt, gravel silt, and caliche deposited during ice age floods. This site produces fruit with sublime mineral character and great acidity, a balance that winemakers are glad to exploit.
As it was envisioned, this wine goes great with spicy ramen, Sriracha pork tacos, and freshly shucked oysters.