LaBelle Winery Participates in Liquor Commission Tasting and Training Event

New Hampshire made wine, spirits, meads and ciders were on full display this week at Flag Hill Winery & Distillery, as the New Hampshire Liquor Commission held its first ever employee tasting and training session exclusively for New Hampshire wine and spirits. 

The growing demand for local products coupled with NHLC’s commitment to support New Hampshire’s bourgeoning wine and spirit industry prompted two days of training. More than 200 full- and select part-time staff sampled wine, spirits, meads and ciders from New Hampshire top six selling manufacturers -  Flag Hill Winery & Distillery of Lee, Candia Vineyards of Candia, LaBelle Winery of Amherst, Farnum Hill Ciders of Lebanon, Jewell Towne Vineyards of South Hampton, and Moonlight Meadery of Londonderry. A list of New Hampshire wineries is available on the New Hampshire Liquor Stores website.

“When you think of New Hampshire, a number of spectacular images come to mind. Our goal is to encourage consumers and visitors to think of our homegrown wine and spirits as well,” said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. “There are 11 New Hampshire producers of wines, ciders, and meads as well as four distillers of spirits in the Granite State. We are committed to promoting these products to the millions of consumers who make purchases in our stores annually. The best method of encouraging purchases is to provide our employees with hands-on experience through tastings and training sessions so they can get a better understanding of these products and inform customers.” 

NHLC carries 62 varieties of wine, ciders, meads and spirits in its 77 state-operated NH Liquor & Wine Outlet stores. In FY 2013 sales of New Hampshire bottled wine and spirits approached $800,000 – 18 percent higher than the previous fiscal year. 

The two-day event provided each manufacturer the opportunity to speak directly with NHLC leadership and staff, share intimate knowledge about their products, including the growing and production process, flavor profiles and history of the brands. 

“While we boast the state’s largest vineyard and produce 4,000 cases of wine and 4,000 cases of spirits each year, delivering our message and getting our product in the hands of consumers can be a challenge,” said Heather Houle, General Manager of Flag Hill Winery & Distillery. “Events like this are critical to sustaining and growing our industry and demonstrate the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s commitment and the men and women who work so passionately to share their craft with the world.” 

To learn more about the New Hampshire wineries, meaderies, cider houses and distilleries participating in the first-ever tasting and training event visit: 

Flag Hill Winery & Distillery – Lee, NH – http://www.flaghill.com/

Jewell Towne Vineyards – South Hampton, NH –http://jewelltownevineyards.com/

Farnum Hill Ciders – Lebanon, NH –http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/

LaBelle Winery – Amherst, NH – http://www.labellewinerynh.com/

Moonlight Meadery – Londonderry, NH –http://www.moonlightmeadery.com/

Candia Vineyards – Candia, NH – http://candiavineyards.com/ 

Visit the New Hampshire Liquor Commission and the NH Liquor & Wine Outlets online at: www.LiquorandWineOutlets.com.