Sustainability, Non-GMO and Farmer Co-Ops: Making GREY GOOSE® Responsibly

From crop to cork, we focus on producing Grey Goose Vodka with an exacting attention to detail. Every step of our process is deliberate and intentional, made with the final product in mind. This includes the way we source our ingredients, and how we try to minimize our carbon footprint during the creation process.

Starting with the Best Ingredients

We rely on the finest natural French ingredients — and there’s only two of them: Picardie soft winter wheat and natural spring water from our own well in Gensac-la-Pallue, France. That’s why we care so much about how they are sourced, cultivated and cared for.

First of all, every grain of our wheat is 100% free of GMOs. In fact, France takes sustainability (and their bread) so seriously that it’s illegal to use GMO-grown wheat. Our wheat is verified by the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA), which validates the sustainable methods used by the wheat farmers.

We also use wonderfully pure spring water drawn from our own well located 500 ft above a natural, underground aquifer. The water source is protected by an EU Conservation Order safeguarding the environment in which the water is farmed. It’s also naturally filtered by limestone that removes any pollutants.

A Shorter Trip

Because our two ingredients — wheat and water — are sourced in one small area of France, right next to our distillery, they have a very short trip to make before they’re used to create Grey Goose.

Working with Farming Cooperatives

Ever since we began production we have worked with the same three farming co-operatives, and every last grain of wheat is grown and harvested by them, from fields all within 30 miles of our distillery in Picardie.

In France nearly 75% of farming is done by cooperatives, allowing smaller farmers to band together to protect one another and their crops. This co-op system helps small businesses thrive and is in stark contrast to the way big agricultural companies grow crops in much larger countries.

The farmers that Grey Goose works with not only own and manage their own farms but they are also partners in the storage, milling and distilling facility that produces Grey Goose. This ensures a seamless continuity of operation from sowing the wheat seed in the fields of Picardie, to delivering them in perfect condition to the distillery.

Our longstanding relationship means that we know not just where and how, but also who is responsible for our most precious ingredients.

Managing the Terroir

These French farming cooperatives also have strict rules on how their members manage their terroir. This ensures that family farming businesses and their lands are sustained for future generations to come.

The wheat fields regularly undergo crop rotation with crops such as linen or sugar beets so there are enough nutrients in the soil to support the unique terroir. 

We also embrace the circular economy to create less waste. Our wheat by-products are used for eco-pasture on site, putting resources back into our land. We also repurpose the wheat products left over after milling for animal nutrition in the form of feed pellets. Waste not.

The Iconic Bottle

The frosted vessel that carries Grey Goose from us to your home or bar has been designed and redesigned with sustainability in mind. Using the same glass supplier since our creation in 1997, our bottle was designed with a dimple in the base, which reduces its overall weight by approximately a fifth. Our parent company, Bacardi Limited, is even working on a way to produce biodegradable bottles in the future.

At Grey Goose, we buy and grow wheat in ways that support the farming community and the terroir, helping us ensure a brighter future for the co-ops we work with and the planet we call home.