Amy LaBelle‘s initial vision of opening a New England winery included a restaurant. “Although there weren’t many wineries here when I opened, I thought just a winery wouldn’t be enough of a draw,” she says.

“I wanted to create a community where people could gather, learn about food and wine and experience art. I wanted there to always be something interesting to bring people back here.”

Enter The Bistro at LaBelle Winery, offering farm-to-fork dining since 2012— even during the pandemic. “Within five days (into the quarantine period), we launched a family meal service, offering a five-course healthy meal,” says LaBelle. “We even did cocktails to-go.”

Serving food made with locally sourced ingredients has always been close to LaBelle’s heart. Although LaBelle began her professional life as a lawyer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, she always loved gardening. When she moved from Boston to Amherst, she bought a house in order to have a garden.

In addition to grapes, several kinds of produce are grown at LaBelle Winery and used in The Bistro kitchen. Beehives in the lower vineyard produce honey sold at the winery. Gardening played a role in kicking off the culinary part of her business, The Winemaker’s Kitchen — a line set to go national next year. The Winemakers Kitchen now sells varieties of culinary wines — the line also features jams, jellies, honey, seasonings, spice rubs and many other items.

Winemaking is interwoven into the atmosphere of The Bistro, constructed in the style of an old New England post and beam barn. “It’s European-inspired, but it fits into the New England landscape,” notes LaBelle, adding that the building reflects the wine world in terms of being traditional yet modern.

The restaurant (serving brunch, lunch and dinner) features updated steel structures, including a catwalk with a bird’s eye view into the wine cellar that spans the length of the building and an outdoor space with views of the vineyard. Outdoor seating (with a dog-friendly outdoor patio) comes with vineyard views.

The food and craft cocktail menu, which LaBelle helps create, changes with the seasons with many locally sourced products. The same goes for behind-the-bar, where New England-produced spirits are the main ingredient in many drink selections.

Of course, LaBelle wines (and Winemaker’s Kitchen products) are deeply intertwined with The Bistro’s French-inspired cuisine. A few examples: LaBelle Dry Apple wine is in the restaurant’s salted caramel chicken wings; mussels are cooked in LaBelle Chardonnay; and the house burger is topped with LaBelle Seyval Blanc wine mustard.

Early next year, the restaurant space will undergo a renovation. “It will be comfier and moodier with different colors and a VIP tasting space,” she says.

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About LaBelle Winery:

LaBelle Winery has provided guests with award-winning wines since its founding in 2005. Since 2012, when its flagship facility opened in Amherst, the winery has offered outstanding cuisine, entertainment and venues for private events and weddings. LaBelle’s Amherst location is home to the winery’s production facility, The Bistro restaurant, a tasting room and wine and gift shop.

LaBelle’s Derry location opened in 2021. The Derry property is home to Americus restaurant, golf and mini-golf courses, an event center and a market offering prepared food and beverages. A tasting room and a sparkling wine production facility opened in Derry in May 2022. 

Along with award-winning wines, LaBelle has created a gourmet culinary product line called The Winemaker’s Kitchen. Products are currently available at both of the winery’s locations, and by 2024 will be available nationwide.

LaBelle Winery Derry is located at 14 Route 111, Derry, New Hampshire.
LaBelle Winery Amherst is located at 345 Route 101 in Amherst, New Hampshire.

Visit LaBelleWinery.com for directions and hours of operation.