Montebello’s fall food showcase puts the region on the food map

I expect that some Quebec food and drink producers may have a few qualifiers around my assertion, but I’ve not come across a province that supports local gastronomy as well as Quebec does. As a result, the standards and expectations run very high and competition flourishes.

Every visitor to the province just feels it. From beer and spirits to internationally recognized cheeses, to charcuterie and smoked fish, there’s an unrelenting inventiveness to food and drink production throughout that province. Better still, these artisans go out of their way to emphasize regionality. 

So when I received the invitation to experience the Chateau Montebello Autumn Harvest Festival, it was not something I could miss, and an opportunity to share the delights of the region with Ottawa readers.

For some reason, precedent I suppose, I was expecting a sit-down affair; instead this was a grazing production with endless tables displaying the fine work of the Chateau Montebello restaurants: Nymark and Aux Chantignoles.

The evening would be filled with foods to satisfy every seafood lover's palate. Endless dishes involving scallops, lobster, crab, shrimp and oysters.

The shuckers were diligently at work putting out quality bivalves from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI, and I grabbed a lobster parfait as an accompaniment. 

It was a tasty and sumptuously constructed appetizer topped with a bit of claw meat.

Otherwise known as gravalax, the cured salmon was satisfyingly rich, layered in flavour and not overly salted. Here it came, arranged with creme fraiche and slivers of fresh green apple on a bed of dulse, a type of red algae.

One of the wineries present was Stonehouse Vineyards, about an hour outside of Ottawa near Alexandria. 

The hybrid grapes used in their wines are understandably designed for colder climates and while these wines may seem uncommon for many palates, they were cleanly made and better expressions than I’ve had in the past. I also expect to be featuring them in a future edition. (And if you like wine, be sure to subscribe to my free wine newsletter).

I always enjoy an adulteration to a classic bite, and the culinary team outdid themselves with a savoury macaron constructed using tomato. The filling was a seasoned chevre mousse, the texture of which married seamlessly with a fragile crunch and the inevitable demise of the meringue shell.

The selection of terrines was, frankly, overwhelming. What a delicious assortment of cured and compressed meats were artfully presented. The standout was a layered slice of pressed duck and rich foie gras. I was mad to eat it but what a pleasure even if it was only once.

Another of the wineries present was Pigeon Hill from Quebec’s Eastern Townships. It was again a cold-climate winery delivering well-made wines of interest. 

The Soir d’Ete is a blend of four different grapes from a collection of vines between eight and 17 years old. I recognized some lovely yellow stone fruit characteristics and while hybrid grapes, generally, have been uncommon for most wine consumers, these wines were very well made.

In this line of work, you attend many events and over time you develop, unconsciously, certain expectations. You just know what you’ll be offered and those expectations are usually met. 

On this evening I walked into an event that exceeded expectations. Not just because of the vast array of foods made with premium-priced ingredients but because of the execution and the care in presentation. In my experience, this was a singular, luxury affair.

For all intents and purposes, this was a royal buffet and you could graze to your hearts content. The servers and bussers were in good spirits and ensured that guests were comfortable at their tables.

Wines for the evening had been assembled by Master Sommelier Pier-Alexis Soulière who was on hand to answer questions. I also enjoyed a number of products from Quebec distilleries and one of these (Fove) impressed me so much that I will be adding them to my Christmas Buying edition.

Those who’ve stayed at Fairmont Chateau Montebello know to appreciate the unique architecture, which casts an otherworldly spell. You feel removed from modernity, which can be entirely the point of a mini vacation.

The nicely appointed rooms do however, provide all the modern conveniences (television, wifi, fridge, USB ports) and the bathrooms are beautifully tiled with spacious glass-walled showers fitted with rainshower heads. 

This was my first time attending their Autumn Harvest and for gastronomes everywhere, this is an affair to add to your calendars. 

I’d like to thank Fairmont Chateau Montebello director of marketing and public relations Veronique Lepage for extending the invitation so that I could share this experience with our readers.

Finally a heartfelt thank you to all the Montebello service members whose professionalism and good humour make these visits so memorable.

Local products mentioned

• Fove

• Pigeon Hill

• Nymark

• Pier-Alexis Soulière

• Fairmont Chateau Montebello

• Stonehouse Vineyards