As wine lovers, we have travelled the globe visiting wineries in surprising places, yet we were surprised to learn about La Belle Winery making wine in the state of New Hampshire. Located in the Southern Tier of New Hampshire, Winemaker and Co-Founder Amy LaBelle and her husband Cesar Arboleda founded LaBelle Winery in 2005, realizing a dream. In 2012, they moved to their flagship Amherst location and then added another location in Derry. Throughout the years La Belle Winery has continued to earn awards and accolades. 

Amy LaBelle

To create LaBelle Winery Seyval Blanc, Winemaker Amy LaBelle uses 100% Seyval Blanc grapes, a French hybrid grape that grows especially well in cooler climates, and slow ferments to bring out its delicate nuances. This is a wine that pairs well with different foods and is also delicious to drink on its own. 

LaBelle Winery Seyval Blanc, Amherst, New Hampshire, USA Information
 

Technical and Bottle Notes: "Seyval Blanc is a French hybrid grape that ripens early and thrives in cooler climates. It is planted in England, Canada, and the northeastern United States. The grape produces crisp white wines with citrus notes. If you like Pinot Grigio, you'll love this crisp, bright wine, replete with citrus notes." 

Pairing Bottle Notes: "Pair with seafood, chicken, creamy pasta dishes or serve before dinner." 

Tasting Notes: The color is a light straw. This crisp, aromatic wine has citrus, fruity, and floral notes on the nose, which follow through on the palate. This is a perfect summer wine with its lower alcohol level (12%), without sacrificing flavor. This wine is delicious to drink on its own, to pair with food, as well as use in cocktail recipes. 

Luxury Experience was "In the kitchen and behind the bar®" creating an incredibly special handcrafted cocktail and a culinary to tempt your palate and inspire your own creations. 

The Cocktail and Culinary Menu 

The Cocktail Recipe 

We love to create pairing dinner cocktails, and our Luxury Experience - Mirror Image uses some of the same ingredients as in our culinary recipe, Luxury Experience - Shrimp, Mango, and Green Pepper Kabobs. Complementary flavors add a rich cohesive to the cocktail, making it perfect to pair with food, or drink on its own. We created the cocktail by muddling fresh mango with fresh basil, adding LaBelle Winery Seyval Blanc, fresh lemon juice, and Fifth State Distillery Bee's Knees, (a ready to drink cocktail made with gin, lemonade, and honey (18% alcohol) in Bridgeport, Connecticut), for a delicious and easy entertaining cocktail. This super refreshing cocktail also has low alcohol making it perfect for summertime. Make a pitcher and serve at your next party. 

Luxury Experience -Mirror Image
 

Cocktail Ingredients:
 

Method: Chiffonade basil leaves (roll the leaves widthwise and cut into strips). In a mixing glass, add the fresh mango and muddle, top with LaBelle Seyval Blanc, Fifth State Distillery Bee's Knees, and lemon juice. Add the basil (chiffonade) and stir to incorporate. Add ice to a stemmed glass and pour cocktail over the ice. Garnish with a slice of fresh mango and a sprig of fresh basil. 

The Culinary Recipe 

We paired this delectable wine with Luxury Experience - Shrimp, Mango, and Green Pepper Kabobs to complement the fruity notes of the wine with the mango, and its hint of green pepper by mirroring the flavors of the wine in the kebabs. We grilled the shrimp, mango, and green pepper, and presented them on a bed of couscous for elegant yet easy entertaining. 

Kebab Ingredients:

Method for the Mango Puree: After you cut the mango into cubes, scrape the remaining fruit with a microplane or box grater to extract the puree and set aside. 

Method for the Shrimp, Mango, and Green Pepper: Add salt, pepper, and 1-tablespoon EVOO to a bowl and toss the mango cubes and set them on a plate while you prepare the peppers and shrimp. Add the peppers to the bowl you used to prepare the mango and toss with the EVOO to coat. Remove and set aside. Add crushed garlic to the bowl, the puree, salt, pepper, and EVOO and toss to coat the shrimp. Lightly oil kebab skewers and then slide on the shrimp, pepper, mango, and repeat. 

Couscous Ingredients:
 

Method: Add salt, pepper, and EVOO to a saucepan and heat. Add minced onions and sweat them until they are translucent. Add water and bring to a boil, add 1-tablespoon EVOO couscous and stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 4 minutes. Chiffonade basil leaves (roll the leaves widthwise and cut into strips) and add to couscous. Fluff the couscous with a fork before serving. 

Presentation: Spoon the couscous onto a large platter, or individual plates, place the shrimp kebabs on top, and garnish with lemon wedges and basil leaves.

Until next time, Cheers and Bon Appetit!

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
345 Route 101
Amherst, New Hampshire 03031
United States
Telephone: +1-603-672-9898
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.LaBelleWinery.com 

LaBelle Winery
14 Route 111
Derry, New Hampshire 03038
United States
Telephone: +1-603-672-9898
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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. 

Luxury Experience - Luxury Product - Gifts - Wine Wedding: The Ultimate Guide to Creating the Wine-Themed Wedding of Your Dreams 

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 USD
Ebook EISBN: 979-8-9863472-0-2: $14.99 

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