Chateau du Mont : A Wine Experience Like No Other, ft. Orin Swift & Chef Spence Guffey
At Civil, we strive to create unforgettable experiences for our guests. Chateau du Mont | A Wine Dinner Experience is one we’ve created and refined over many months. It has allowed us to serve our community in a much deeper way, amplifying the enjoyable evenings you’ve come to expect from Civil through added connection, storytelling, and signature dishes.
Our April Chateau du Mont featuring Orin Swift Cellars and Chef Spence [[LINK]] leading the kitchen was one for the books.
Chateau du Mont has only a few goals: to bring extraordinary wines to the mountain that our guests may not otherwise encounter (Orin Swift was just that) and to cultivate an environment where guests can enjoy great company over thoughtfully curated decadent dishes (Chef Spence delivered).
It was such a magical evening that we wanted to share the memory here and invite you to come along. Let us paint you a picture:
You arrive at the mountain, open the door to Civil, and hear the dining room - just around the corner - buzzing with excitement and friendly conversations. As you step into the arched entry you’re greeted by the host and whisked away to the main event. You’ve now found yourself with a glass of bubbles in hand meeting old friends and being introduced to new ones.
Your conversations move toward the bar that is thoughtfully canvassed in hors-d’oeuvres awaiting your enjoyment.
As you look around you see things you haven’t noticed at Civil before: skate decks grace the shelves above the hanging wine glasses and mannequin torsos sit atop tables and banquettes next to larger prints of artwork. You move closer examining the artwork and notice it’s reflected on the wine bottle labels.
Everyone starts to make their way to their tables - Chateau du Mont is well underway. A wine guide begins speaking while servers circle each table, filling every wine glass with the first wine of the evening - Mannequin Chardonnay. The wine guide continues, bringing you on the journey of how this first bottle came to be. A stunning dish is quietly set in front of you - the first course: an ancient grain salad of arugula, farro, red onion, cucumber, feta, cilantro, and blood orange citronette. As the guide finishes speaking, she raises a glass for the first “cheers” of the evening. The excitement rises again, bubbles over the sound of clinking glasses, and lowers just as quickly to a hum as everyone begins to taste and discover every flavor.
The evening continues in the same way through three more delectable courses and wine pairings:
Crawfish Tortellini | roasted carrot & ricotta tortellini with crawfish and red pepper cream sauce; paired with Slander, Pino Noir
Teres Major | roasted potatoes, tapenade, and balsamic reduction; paired with 8 Years in the Desert, Red Blend
Cornbread & Buttermilk | buttermilk brûlée, big sycamore farms strawberries, and a cornbread cookie; paired with Palermo, Cabernet Sauvignon
As the evening came to an end, Chef Spence emerged from the kitchen, stopped to greet each table, and received handshakes & hugs for a job more than well done. One of the attendees, a writer for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, shared his experience in an article the following day.
It truly was a night to remember. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another signature Civil event in the future or, better yet, help you bring to life the special event you’re planning.
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