News and Wine Blog
Vino Mas June Wine Club. Wines from New York!
05/30/2026
They share a vision to one day be the shepherds of their own piece of terroir in the region Kelby was born and raised and Julia has now called home for many years. The name, Apollo’s Praise, is a reference to the iconic song called Glorious Apollo that Kelby, performed with the Harvard Glee Club as an undergraduate studying Orchestra Management. The name encapsulates his passion for music, wine, and the Finger Lakes region where he was raised. Due to his love of music, Kelby as paired each wien with a song. See below!
In the cold climate of the Finger Lakes, the viticulture and winemaking are often pushed right to the very edge. Yet the wines that result can be breathtakingly beautiful, powerful, and complex. For Kelby and Julia the act of creating wine is quintessentially human. It is the urge to take a product and, through human ingenuity, turn it into something extraordinary. Of riding the highs and lows of any given year with a grander vision in mind. And it results in the most human thing of all: bringing people together.
The main red this month is Apollo's Praise "Picardie" Cabernet Franc: The Picardie Cabernet Franc is named after the glass tumblers found at French Bistros the world over. This wine captures what makes Cabernet Franc a special grape for the Fingerlakes region: the ability to ripen late in harvest without sacrificing acidity or tannin. Fermenting and aging in stainless steel bring the black raspberry fruit to the fore, while keeping the tannins crunchy and fresh. Enjoy this wine with a slight chill.In the cold climate of the Finger Lakes, the viticulture and winemaking are often pushed right to the very edge. Yet the wines that result can be breathtakingly beautiful, powerful, and complex. For Kelby and Julia the act of creating wine is quintessentially human. It is the urge to take a product and, through human ingenuity, turn it into something extraordinary. Of riding the highs and lows of any given year with a grander vision in mind. And it results in the most human thing of all: bringing people together.
I paired this wine with Grilled Jalapeno Poppers. I soaked the Peppers in Ice-Cold water and a small amount of apple cider vinegar for about 45min, which tames the heat, but leaves all the flavor of the pepper. Pairing jalapeño poppers with Cabernet Franc is a great match. The wine's natural bell pepper and herbal notes, harmonize perfectly with the jalapeño. The acidity in the wine slices through the rich, gooey cheese, while the moderate tannins stand up well to the smoky, bacon flavor.
The Red Complement is Apollo's Praise Gamay Noir: Gamay Noir is most renowned, and infamous, hailing from its home region of Beaujolais. The iteration takes its inspiration from Cru Beaujolais, the wines that Julia and Kelby fell in love with from their first days in the wine industry. Gamay Noir has been an underheralded grape in the Finger Lakes, Kelby and Julia are hoping to change that!
The Gamay Noir is light, earthy and has a lot of dried cherry notes. I paired this wine with a rosemary and dried cherry pork chops. The dried cherries are plumped up with hot water and both the cherries and the juice is used in the reduction sauce. The dish brought out a sweeter note in the wine and honestly, I am not sure that I could have found a better pairing for this wine. These pork chops were so flavorful and juicy and the wine showed a nice sweet-tart balance.
The white this month is a Dry Riesling: Dry Riesling is the wineries flagship wine, and the main demonstration of what the FInger Lakes region is capable of. An opulent style thanks to the sandstone that underlays the Lahoma site. This Riesling is very dry and comes in at 12.8% Alcohol.
Deb paired the dry Riesling this month: “As we head into this warm summer weather, I love a lighter protein made with all the freshness of the season. Tilapia is a great choice because it is adds structure to any dish without adding any overpowering flavors. Rieslings are known for their high-acid profile and are a great counter-balance to anything sweet and spicy. So, in this particular pairing, the heat of the jalapenos and the juicy sweetness of ripe mango in the salsa created a mouthfeel that cleanses you palate with each sip. Really a great summer wine!
Enjoy!
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Apollo's Praise Cabernet Franc
NOTES: Black raspberry, rosemary, and leather aromas on the nose immediately hint at the wild side of this Cabernet Franc. The midpalate transitions to red fruit with a pleasant tomato leaf savoriness, but is most notable for the grip and mouth coating nature of its fruit-derived tannins. Without oak as an intermediary, the wine is focused on crunchy fruit and tannins that demand food pairings from fatty to acidic to smoky.
Song Pairing: “Si Tu Vois Ma Mère”
by Sidney Bechet and Claude Luter et son Orchestre
Recipe to pair with Cab Franc:
www.vinomas.com/Grilled-Jalapeno-Poppers-with-ApollosPraise-Cabernet-Franc
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NOTES: Black raspberry, rosemary, and leather aromas on the nose immediately hint at the wild side of this Cabernet Franc. The midpalate transitions to red fruit with a pleasant tomato leaf savoriness, but is most notable for the grip and mouth coating nature of its fruit-derived tannins. Without oak as an intermediary, the wine is focused on crunchy fruit and tannins that demand food pairings from fatty to acidic to smoky.
Song Pairing: “Si Tu Vois Ma Mère”
by Sidney Bechet and Claude Luter et son Orchestre
Recipe to pair with Cab Franc:
www.vinomas.com/Grilled-Jalapeno-Poppers-with-ApollosPraise-Cabernet-Franc
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Apollo's Praise Gamay Noir
NOTES: The Apollo's Praise Gamay Noir 2024 (from the Lahoma Vineyard in the Finger Lakes, NY) is a highly structured, medium-bodied red. Inspired by Cru Beaujolais, it offers vibrant cherry and bramble fruit flavors, a velvety texture, and a long, savory finish
Song Pairing: “Compared To What”(Live at Montreux Jazz Festival) by Les McCann and Eddie Harris
Recipe to pair with Gamay Noir:
www.vinomas.com/Pork-Chops-with-Cherries-paired-with-Apollos-Praise-Gamay-Noir
www.vinomas.com/Pork-Chops-with-Cherries-paired-with-Apollos-Praise-Gamay-Noir
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Apollo's Praise Riesling
Apollo's Praise Riesling
NOTES: Smoky lemon and lime aromas explode from the glass, with passionfruit and tropical undertones. This leads to a dry and structured midpalate that overlays grapefruit pith with creme brulee richness before a long and mineral finish of meyer lemon.
Song Pairing: “Sure Thing” by Miguel
Recipe to pair with Dry Riesling:
www.vinomas.com/Tilapia-and-Spicy-Mango-Salsa-with-ApollosPraise-Dry-Riesling
www.vinomas.com/Tilapia-and-Spicy-Mango-Salsa-with-ApollosPraise-Dry-Riesling
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High Tier Wine Club Main Wine
Gemstone Facets Cabernet Sauvignon
Gemstone Facets Cabernet Sauvignon
UNEARTH BRILLIANCE with GEMSTONE WINES!
Like a rare gem revealed over time, our 16-acre Yountville estate expresses its complexity with every vintage. Sustainably farmed and exclusively hand-tended for over three decades, our 20 micro-blocks showcase a brilliant merging of geology, climate, and cultivation.
NOTES: A bright full ruby in color, the wine exudes aromas of crushed blackcurrants and black cherry jam, fresh cappuccino, dark cocoa, and cigar leaf. On the palate the wine is soft and round, with an utterly proportional architecture that sees acidity, alcohol, and tannin woven together effortlessly in the finish.
Post By:
Deanna Albertson