Home » LaBelle Winery – Americus, Amherst, New Hampshire, USA

LaBelle Winery – Americus, Amherst, New Hampshire, USA

by Debra C. Argen and Edward F. Nesta
Labelle Winery Americus
ker Amy LaBelle of LaBelle Winery in Amherst, New Hampshire makes gorgeous wines full of nuanced flavors. Her LaBelle Winery Americus is a dry red, medium body wine that is a delectable blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, and 50% of the French hybrid grape Noiret. The result is stunning with dark fruit and red berries on the aromatic nose with lushness that follows through on the palate with a slightly spicy lingering peppery finish. Although bold on flavors, Labelle Winery Americus has only 12.9% alcohol, which is another plus in its favor. Although great to pair with grilled meats and heavier dishes, we paired it with Luxury Experience – Seared Scallops with Fig Butter and Candied Bacon, and the result was a fabulous pairing. The recipe works well as a passed hors d’oeuvre at parties, as an appetizer, or main course. Cheers and Bon Appetit!

LaBelle Winery Americus, Amherst, New Hampshire, USA

Country:
United States
Region:
Amherst, New Hampshire
Varietal:
50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Noiret
Alcohol:
12.9 % alcohol
Type:
Dry Red Wine
Aging:
Aged in French oak barrels for approximately 1-2 years
Cellaring:
May be cellared up to 10 years
Acidity:
3.77 pH
Titratable Acidity:
< 1.0%
Residual Sugar:
< 1.0%
Produced & bottled by:
LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst, NH, USA
Winemaker:
Amy LaBelle
Retail:
$24/bottle
Serving Temp:
Serve just below room temperature

Technical and Bottle Notes: “Winemaker Amy LaBelle notes on the wine: Americus is a blend of the best red grapes from harvest – a dry, medium bodied wine with savory dark fruit notes, red berry and black pepper.”

Pairing Bottle Notes: “Pairs well with grilled meats and heavier dishes.”

Tasting Notes: The color is a deep dark luscious ruby. The nose is richly aromatic with dark fruit, red berries that segue onto the palate with a slightly spicy, peppery finish. Balanced tannins elicit a rich roundness in the mouthfeel and create a memorable, lasting finish.

Luxury Experience was “In the kitchen and behind the bar®” creating an incredibly special handcrafted culinary recipe to tempt your palate and inspire your own creations. Luxury Experience – Scallops with Fig Butter and Candied Bacon Crowns brings out the layered nuances of the wine by sautéing the scallops in a butter to give them a crispy, golden crust, then adding LaBelle Winery Americus wine to the pan juices to create a wine reduction sauce, which is removed from the pan and reserved as a base for plating the scallops. Fig Butter and red wine are added to the pan to bring out more of the flavors and are cooked to create a thick paste to spoon onto the scallops. The finishing touch is crumbled candied bacon that ties all the flavors together in a succulent finish to complement the LaBelle Winery Americus wine.

Luxury Experience - Scallops with Fig Butter and Candied Bacon Crowns - photo by Luxury Experience

Luxury Experience – Scallops with Fig Butter and Candied Bacon Crowns
Serves 6 – can easily be adapted for larger amount.

Candied Bacon Ingredients:

2
Strips
Bacon, cooked
1
Tablespoon
Demerara Sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
1
Tablespoon
Water

Method for the Candied Bacon: Microwave bacon between sheets of paper towels until bacon is crisp. Approximately 4 minutes. Remove from paper towels and set aside.

In a sauté pan, add sugar and cook over medium heat, then add sugar to help dissolve the sugar. Add bacon and coat both sides of bacon with the sugar mixture and cook until liquid is dissolved, turning bacon throughout the cooking process. Place candied bacon on parchment paper to let dry. When dry, crumble into small pieces. Note: This can be done ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.

Scallops Ingredients:

6
Large
Sea Scallops
1
Tablespoon
Butter
Salt and Pepper

Method for the Scallops: Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat, add a small pinch of salt and pepper to the pan. Add the butter and let melt. Add the scallops and sauté until they are golden brown on both sides. Remove scallops from pan and keep warm. You will use this pan with the scallop juice to create the wine reduction.

Wine Reduction Ingredients:
1
Ounce
LaBelle Americus
1
Teaspoon
Butter

Method for the Wine Reduction Sauce: Add the wine to the sauté pan you used for the scallops. Cook over medium heat, then add butter to round out the sauce. Cook until reduced and sauce starts to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside. Note: This can be made ahead, then heated before using.

Fig Butter Ingredients:
2
Tablespoons
Trader Joe’s Fig Butter
0.5
Ounce
LaBelle Winery Americus

Method for the Fig and Wine Sauce: While the scallops are cooking, add the Trader Joe’s Fig Butter and LaBelle Winery Americus to another sauté pan and cook over medium heat, stirring to create a sauce. Allow to thicken, then remove from the heat. Note: This can be made in advance, then heated just before using.

Presentation: Add the wine reduction to the plate, top with golden crusted scallops, spoon some of the fig butter wine sauce on top of the scallops, and garnish with the crumbled candied bacon.

Until next time, Cheers and Bon Appetit!

You might also like to read about the other LaBelle Winery wines we reviewed:

For more information on LaBelle Winery wines, tours, and their destination, please visit the website: www.LaBelleWinery.com

For more information on Amy LaBelle, winemaker, author, and event planner, please visit the website: www.amylabelle.com

LaBelle Winery

LaBelle Winery
345 Route 101
Amherst, New Hampshire 03031
United States
Telephone: +1-603-672-9898
Email: Amy@LaBelleWinery.com
Website: www.LaBelleWinery.com

LaBelle Winery
14 Route 111
Derry, New Hampshire 03038
United States
Telephone: +1-603-672-9898
Email: Amy@LaBelleWinery.com
Website: www.LaBelleWinery.com

Read our review of Wine Weddings: The Ultimate Guide to Creating The Wine-Themed Wedding of Your Dreams by Amy LaBelle in the Luxury Products – Gifts section.

Websites where you can purchase Wine Weddings: The Ultimate Guide to Creating The Wine-Themed Wedding of Your Dreams by Amy LaBelle: LaBelle Winery, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and many others.

Wine Weddings: The Ultimate Guide to Creating the Wine-Themed Wedding of Your Dreams by Amy LaBelle
Published by Corkscrew Press
Copyright 2023
Print ISBN: 979-8-9861737-9-5: $35.00 USD
Ebook EISBN: 979-8-9863472-0-2: $14.99

Social Media:
@labellewinery
@LaBelleWineryNH
@LaBelleWinery_Derry
@LaBelleWIneryDerry

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