Amy LaBelle: Way Beyond Wine — Building a Hospitality Empire in NH | Ep 34 Beyond The Plate

From corporate attorney to NH Winery of the Year — Amy LaBelle's 4,083-day journey to building one of New Hampshire's most beloved hospitality destinations. In this episode, Amy gets real about what it takes to build something that goes way beyond wine — two award-winning restaurants, a golf course, a holiday light show that draws 80,000 visitors, and a luxury guest house in the works. We talk about: → The moment she knew wine alone wouldn't survive in New England → Why hospitality is "like a theater performance every single day" → Building an all-women winemaking team (only 2% of wineries globally are founded by women) → The fresh fruit initiative feeding hungry kids through End 68 Hours of Hunger → Why you don't have to be a "trust fund baby" to start a business 🔔 BREAKING NEWS: Amy announces LaBelle is launching a DISTILLERY in 2026! Plus: Her best advice for entrepreneurs, 8 proposals at LaBelle Lights this winter, and what she's most proud of (hint: it's not the awards). 📍 LaBelle Winery: LaBelleWinery.com 📍 Amy's personal brand: AmyLaBelle.com 📱 Instagram: @labellewinery | @amylabellewinemaker 🔺@AmyLaBelleWinemaker — ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Intro: Who is Amy LaBelle? 1:00 — Where to find LaBelle Winery online 1:55 — When did this stop being just a winery? 3:55 — The early days: Making wine in a barn 5:34 — 4,083 days from dream to doors 7:24 — "Unreasonable Hospitality" & the theater of it all 8:36 — Harvest House update (and the town delay) 9:28 — The vision: Wake up in a winery 11:01 — DiRōNA Award & OpenTable's 100 Best Brunch 13:32 — A day in the life of Amy LaBelle 13:45 — Meet Melanie: The winemaker running the cellar 17:00 — Working with Caesar: Staying in your lane 20:50 — Caesar's immigration story & "Frankie the Ghost Train" 22:18 — Empowering Angels: Only 2% of wineries are founded by women 23:04 — 🚨 BREAKING: Distillery coming 2026! 24:00 — End 68 Hours of Hunger: Fresh fruit for kids 27:01 — 2025 Woman of Distinction 27:47 — "You don't have to be a trust fund baby" 29:07 — Cooking classes & Start a Business from Scratch 33:44 — What NH hospitality gets right 35:10 — Inside Americus: The moody, sexy restaurant 37:07 — LaBelle Lights: 8 proposals this winter 40:24 — Lightning Round 🔥 44:53 — What she's most proud of (this one hits) 46:26 — Outro — BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Hosted by Carol Lawrence — owner of Red Arrow Diner and 35+ year veteran of the New Hampshire hospitality industry. Each week, Carol sits down with the people behind NH's restaurants, bars, and food businesses to hear what drives them beyond the plate. 🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday CONNECT WITH CAROL & BEYOND THE PLATE: 📺 YouTube: @beyondtheplatewithcarol 📸 Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh | @CarolSew 📘 Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH 🎵 TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate RED ARROW DINER Four locations across New Hampshire — Manchester, Concord, Nashua & Londonderry. Open 24/7, serving scratch-made food since 1922. 🌐 redarrowdiner.com 📸 Instagram: @redarrow24diner 📘 Facebook: Red Arrow Diner #BeyondThePlate #LaBelleWinery #AmyLaBelle #NewHampshire #NHWinery #WomenInWine #Hospitality #Entrepreneur #NHFood #RedArrowDiner