If Apollo’s Praise sounds musical, that’s because it is — the name comes from “Glorious Apollo,” and Kelby James Russell and Julia Rose Hoyle have brought that same sense of harmony, nerve and joy to Lahoma Vineyard on Seneca Lake.

Pentecostal Block is Riesling from the north hill of Lahoma vineyard where sandier sandstone-driven soils tend to give a more generous, orange-fruited expression. It is also a block that makes them work for it: in 2024, they spent serious time leaf pulling and fruit thinning, then had to drop another quarter of the crop just before harvest. Painful? Yes. Worth it? One look at the golden berries apparently answered that.

The wine is dry, aromatic and richly textured, with smoky grapefruit, orange pith, blood orange, lemongrass, orchard fruit and a long mineral finish. It's DB's favourite: all the snap you want from Finger Lakes Riesling, with a little extra mid-palate swagger. Sushi, pork, fried chicken, Thai-ish things, salty snacks, Charli xcx. LFG.