The best thing about press trips (apart from cocktailing & carousing) is learning more in-depth about brands we think we know. So here’s an embarrassing admission… for as long as I recall, I assumed that French-made Grey Goose vodka was derived from Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche or Colombard grapes because of its relationship with Cognac. So, with this post, I am wiping the proverbial “oeuf” from my “visage.”Grey Goose is actually made from wheat. And, wouldntcha-know I’ve always liked the creaminess of wheat vodka. Grey Goose’s wheat comes from Picardy, near the Champagne region in northern France. This area is also known as the breadbasket of France and produces some of the best grains in the country, according to Maitre de Chai (Cellar Master) Francois Thibault. Croissant? Cocktail? Why choose, as long as your start with the best ingredients.Le Voyage of Grey Goose discovery began with a visit to said wheat fields and a chat with the local farmer who grows it. The next step was a tour of the nearby Grey Goose distillery for a crash-course in how wheat goes from grain to glass. Essentially, its like this:Creating Booze from Bread

Wheat is harvested, then transported to the distillery in trucks.
The trucks empty their loads into a giant sifter of sorts which then sucks the grains into another sifter of sorts which collects only the best grains by size and texture.
Those grains are then crushed into a flour which is poured into great vats, mixed water with water, then enzymes are introduced to begin the fermentation process. This takes about 36 hours.
That stuff is then moved into 5 large tanks, where a particular, chosen strain of yeast is added to create alcohol. (Fyi: One of the most visual descriptions I’ve heard of the fermentation process is: yeast eats sugar and poops out alcohol.)
Once in the first tank, the liquid bubbles like crazy as the yeast gobble up the sugar. The liquid is then moved along to the next tank where the yeast continues its feast, and the next tank, and the next until it arrives in the 5^th tank where those greedy little yeasts have eaten all of the sugar. The bubbling slows to nearly nothing. This means that fermentation is complete, and its time to distill.

Turning Flour “Wine” into VodkaWhile I would refer to any fermented grain liquid as “beer” and fermented fruit liquid as “wine,” Francois said that they call it all “wine” in France. Ah, those romantic fellows. So, this flour wine travels from those fermentation tanks into the first of 5 columns in the still. The booze-to-be travels up through various plates within those columns, and the impurities are extracted by way of removing what’s called the “heads” or dirtier bits of liquid. The “hearts” of the alcoholic soup continues to travel through each of the other columns, and the heads from each one is removed, resulting in a clean distillate, which is then blended with water to bring it down to 40% alcohol, or 80 proof vodka.This Is Where Cognac Comes In…The vodka is then transported to Gensac, a town in the Cognac region of Southern France. Its then bottled at the state-of-the-art Grey Goose facility. Its quite impressive to see the massive robots lifting hundreds of bottles in the air, positioning them onto conveyor belts where they are shimmied along, filled with booze, sealed, packed onto crates and shrunk wrapped in plastic to be sent out all over the globe.And Here Is Where Cognac Really Clicks Into Place…Francois Thibault is indeed the man behind the curtain, conducting the Oz-like Emerald City of the Grey Goose universe. With a background in wine and studies in oenology, Francois made Cognac for many years. He got his esteemed position as Maitre de Chai while working with masters of Cognac, who passed down the role from Maitre to Maitre. Each Cognac house has only one Maitre de Chai, and that person is chosen – after years of study and work – by the previous one. Very French, in that regard… a culture filled with earning certain honors by way of tradition, and a particular way of doing things.One fine day, about 15 years ago, Sidney Frank approached Monsieur Thibault about making a vodka. Now, with Francois being a revered cognac maker, a layperson, such as myself, might have thought he’d reach for the grapes surrounding him, not even a stone’s throw away. But, no. Seeking a new challenge, a new raw material, a super-premium feat to undertake, Francois headed to Picardy.The result? A spirit which took the world by storm. Particularly the United States. Most of the Grey Goose made in la Belle France winds up behind American bars, and is called for by name by consumers across the country. This caught the attention of global spirits giant Bacardi, who snapped up the brand about 5 years ago, and helped Grey Goose’s popularity soar to new heights.Flavors & CocktailsSo, the big topic at Grey Goose at the moment is their new flavor, Cherry Noir. Francois says that the inspiration behind it is the cherries from Basque country, which are renowned for their rich flavor. So much so that there is an annual cherry festival during which local producers trot out the best of their crops. We sampled cherry jams which we ate on bread with cheese, and cherry cake. The idea was to compare the cherries with the flavor of the vodka, and frankly, it was pretty darn close. I can see the Cherry Noir used in a myriad of cocktails, and certainly sprucing up a plain ole “vodka soda.”Mr. Thibault insists that there is no added sugar in either the plain or flavored versions. A few years ago, in Los Angeles, Grey Goose hosted a tasting-in-the-dark where we eliminated the sense of sight, and only smelled fresh pear, then tasted La Poire, which I found quite impressive. That one, particularly, remains one of my top picks in the flavored vodka category. The Cherry Noir will join those ranks, as it is a tricky one. “Cherry” could have easily wound up reminiscent of cherry flavored cough syrup – yet it is not. Its quite delightful. Of course, no spirits education is complete without cocktails! Once we learn to appreciate a spirit, then a product on its own, the next step is to use it in mixology. Brand Ambassador Ludo Miazga spoiled us throughout our journey of discovery, not only acting as translator for every one of Mr. Thibault's presentations but also by making us fabulous cocktails - from barrel aged vodka martinis to vodka Negronis to fruity-infused Cherry Noir concoctions by the swimming pool. Formerly a bartender at London's Milk & Honey, and now a Grey Goose rep for several years, I don't need to explain to you that his talents were a treat, and not wasted on a group such as ours.My Attitude AdjustmentSince I’ve been bartending again, I can’t tell you how many times people ask for a Grey Goose mixed with soda, tonic, in Cosmos, etc. I admit that I had been one of those who gave brilliant marketing props for the success of premium vodka brands, rather than quality, for its popularity. I found it a bit silly to spend extra money on a relatively bland spirit, such as vodka, when mingled with more over-powering flavors by way of fruit juice or mixers. However, I have to say that I have a new understanding and respect for this particular product. Having the hands-on experience of seeing the sourcing, process and distribution of Grey Goose was an interesting voyage, and I can now support this “premium” spirit with whole-hearted endorsement. And, of course, I also have the first-hand experience to confirm that their marketing team is pretty brilliant, as well. For a brand trying to set itself apart on both quality and image, good PR is indeed the cherry noir on the cake.