New Hampshire's backyard winery that actually delivers
Amherst · Manchester · Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Bistro at LaBelle Winery Amherst’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into The Bistro at LaBelle, you immediately clock that this isn't a restaurant with a wine list — this is a winery with a restaurant. Every bottle on the menu is made on-site, which either sounds limiting or kind of thrilling depending on your mood. We lean thrilling.
The list is tight and entirely LaBelle's own production, spanning dry table wines, fruit wines, and a few blends that push past the typical winery gift shop fare. The Amherst Vineyard Red and White show genuine terroir ambition for New England, while the Blue Alchemy signals that the winemaking team is willing to experiment. Yes, there are fruit wines like the Blueberry on the list — that's the winery's reality — but the dry lineup holds its own and shouldn't be dismissed.
By-the-glass starts at $10, which in 2024 is practically an act of generosity. The full range of LaBelle wines appears to be available by the glass, giving you real flexibility to explore across styles without committing to a bottle. No rotation or rotating guest pours here — it's the LaBelle catalog, full stop.
LaBelle Amherst Vineyard White — $31
Retail price is $31 and restaurant price is $31 — zero markup. You're paying exactly what you'd pay walking out of the winery shop, but you get to drink it with food on a nice patio. That's just honest.
LaBelle Blue Alchemy
Most people at a winery bistro default to the safe red or white. Blue Alchemy is the wild card in the lineup — a blended wine that suggests the winemakers are pushing into more adventurous territory. Skip past it and you're missing the most interesting thing on the list.
LaBelle Blueberry
At $22 with no markup, it's not a rip-off — but if you're here to drink wine with dinner, the fruit wine is a detour. Save it for dessert or the gift shop on your way out.
LaBelle Amherst Vineyard Red + New England cheese plate
A locally grown red alongside a board of regional cheeses is the whole thesis of this place in one bite. The wine's structure cuts through the fat of the cheese while keeping everything rooted in New England provenance.
The Bottom Line
The Bistro at LaBelle is the rare winery restaurant where the wine doesn't feel like an afterthought — it is the point. Zero markup, honest pours, and a setting that earns the detour from Manchester.
Manchester · Manchester · Wine Bar / Small Plates
Vine Thirty Two is doing the most credible wine program in Manchester, and by a comfortable margin. Send a friend here — just tell them to skip the Whispering Angel and ask questions.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manchester · Manchester · Mexican
Margaritas Manchester is a fun night out, and the bar program clearly gets the attention. The wine list is not the reason to come here — order the cocktails, enjoy the room, and don't overthink the glass pours.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Millyard · Manchester · Casual American
Come here for the burgers and maybe a beer — the wine list is an obligation, not an attraction. If wine matters to your night out, this isn't your spot.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manchester · Manchester · Modern American Grill
110 Grill Manchester is the wine equivalent of a reliable friend — not the most exciting person in the room, but they always show up and they never let you down. Send your friends here if they want a decent glass with dinner and zero stress; just don't send the Burgundy nerds.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Willow · Manchester · Mexican
Shorty's is a margarita bar that happens to have wine on the menu — and the wine knows it. Come for the frozen drinks and the fajitas; leave the wine list to collect dust.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Willow · Manchester · Tex-Mex
Cactus Jack's is a fun place to eat Tex-Mex and throw back a margarita, and that's exactly the order of operations we'd recommend. The wine list is an afterthought dressed up as a menu section — don't send a friend here for wine unless the friend truly doesn't care about wine.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Wine Bar
Maison is what happens when someone builds a wine bar list with genuine curiosity instead of a regional checklist — you're in the heart of Sonoma Wine Country and the list keeps pointing you toward Mosel Riesling, Douro whites, and 1934 Madeira. The by-the-glass program alone justifies a visit, and the pricing is fair enough that you can explore without flinching. If you're in Healdsburg and you actually care about wine, this is the stop.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Mill District · Bend · Wine Bar
For a Va Piano visit in Bend, head to the Wine & Champagne Bar at 425 SW Powerhouse Drive, Suite 301. Confirm the current wines and pour prices directly, and reserve ahead for groups of six or more. The winery’s subscription page is not a tasting-room menu.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Helena · Wine Bar
The Hawthorn is exactly the kind of place that makes a mid-sized Montana city worth lingering in — a down-to-earth wine spot with a real point of view, solid food pairings like charcuterie boards and cheese plates, and staff that actually seems to give a damn. We'd send any friend here without hesitation, especially if they're in the mood to explore something Italian or old world without being lectured about it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
