Apollo's Praise

“Our tasting w Sarah was a highlight of our trip to the finger lakes. She is delightful and incredibly knowledgeable and shared so many interesting facts and stories! We loved the private and personal experience and got to sit outside under the barn overlooking the vines. Lovely! The wine was very good too and we purchased a few bottles. Thank you Sarah!”

“Highly recommend visiting Apollo's Praise for a tasting! I hadn't heard much about them prior to visiting, but they popped up on Google Maps, so I delve deeper into some internet research and they sounded like an up-and-coming star, so we took a gamble. I am not traditionally a Dry Riesling person, however I thought it was their best wine in the tasting and took a bottle home. We love a good Gruner, sadly not on the tasting menu that day - again, took a gamble and brought a bottle home (opened this weekend and loved it...hours later when out to dinner with friends they pointed out Apollo's Dry Riesling on the wine menu, 3.5 hours away from the vineyard). We will be revisiting with friends this summer. Thank you to Daisy for guiding our tasting.”

“Our tasting adventure at Apollo's Praise did NOT start well. We went to the address on the website and found ourselves stuck in the mud in the driveway leading to an empty "barn." Top marks to the winery's General Manager, Sarah, for snatching victory from the jaws of disaster. She called to see where we were, provided directions to their winter tasting room and offered assistance if we needed it. Once we freed our car from the mud and found the right room, things took a turn for the better. Much better. Sarah proved to be a charming and informative guide through their wine list, offering the history and philosophy of Apollo's Praise as we sipped. We've previously enjoyed the wines Julia makes for Hosmer and this gave us a chance to compare her winemaking style to that of her husband, Kelby, head to head. Let's just call it a tie. Every wine we tasted was elegant and beautifully crafted. Both winemakers tend to retain a bit more residual sugar than I'm accustomed to in FLX whites, but they both demonstrate the ability to incorporate that little bit of sugar to enhance the richness and body of their lovely wines. The reds were equally impressive and in the end, we left with bottles of almost everything we tasted. The laid-back vibe that defines the AP approach was able to quickly overcome our earlier battle with the mud and left us laughing about our latest adventure and what a great story it will be to tell while we share these wonderful wines with friends and family. We will absolutely be returning to AP to taste and buy again -- ideally when things have dried out a bit. Once more, thanks, Sarah, for turning our day around.”

“It was a pleasure tasting the delicious small batch wines made by two wine makers whose wines we have enjoyed for years. I was excited to finally get to try the Gruner Veltliner, because I am a big fan of Julia's Hosmer versions, and scored some of the last of Kelby's from Red Newt. Truly delicious, and definitely on par with the versions we had in Austria. Happily joined the Wine & Glee club and look forward to future releases from this talented duo. Daisy did a great job with the tasting and sign-up experience. Easy to schedule tastings on-line, and am sad I did not get on it more quickly during my spring visit before the slots were filled.”

“Apollo's Praise was one of the best tasting experiences we've had in the Finger Lakes. The wines were delicious (we particularly liked the Pentecostal Block and Knoll dry Rieslings and the Cabernet Franc). The appointment-only format meant a relaxed visit and the opportunity to have an in-depth conversation about all of the wines and their history with Sarah, our friendly and knowledgeable host. The setting -- both the barn and the vineyard overlooking Seneca Lake -- are beautiful. Well worth the visit!”