Le Logis with Grey Goose

Getting away in the French Countryside

By Patrick Janelle

It’s tempting to think that everything in the French countryside is a postcard-perfect setting in which nothing has changed for decades, that the stone maisons and châteaux are just as they were hundreds of years ago with immortal cooks, who carry on the tradition of making the most incredibly succulent duck confit served alongside the deliciously aged rustic cheeses. It’s tempting to think this, because, in many ways, it’s true.

The immortal cooks may not exist, but one such picturesque property that fits the idealistic vision is Le Logis, a vine-covered chateau on petite, verdant grounds just outside the town of Cognac. Since 2012, the 17th-century limestone villa is also home to Grey Goose Vodka, which uses the space as part boutique micro-hotel, part press and education center. Always interested in the intricacies of distilling, I spent several days at the property learning all about the brand's history, their field-to-bottle process, and their own specific drinking culture—which included ending each night with an espresso Martini.

“He said yes, on one condition: he must remain in Cognac.”

The master distiller, Francois Thibault, grew up in the region of Cognac. As a cognac cellar master, he proved his expertise distilling and aging the beverage for the finest cognac houses. It’s for precisely this reason, when he was wooed by the late Canadian entrepreneur Sidney Frank to join the brand in 2007 with the goal of producing the best vodka in the world, he said yes, on one condition: he must remain in Cognac.

But this was more than just a selfish note: deep below the surface of the chalky soil of Cognac, there is an artesian well with the purest water, an integral ingredient in finishing an alcoholic spirit. It was imperative to Thibault that the vodka, which is distilled in the northern French province of Picardie from wheat grown in nearby fields, be brought back to Cognac for cutting with that pure well water before bottling.

And so, thanks to Thibault’s ingenuity, we were to enjoy the rustic chams of Le Logis, surrounded by grapevines and mulberry trees. Inside the ground’s ancient walls, the property contains several floors of impeccably restored quarters that sleep a modest number of guests, a large kitchen which doubles as a casual gathering spot for lunch, a formal dining room, a chic living room, a separate bar, education quarters, a swimming pool, and bicycles for charming rides through the countryside.

Saying at the property is an education in itself, from learning to enjoy rustic French fare from lunch every day, partaking in the evening revelry at the in-house bar. But equally interesting—if somewhat more didactic—is sitting in the education center learning about the fascinating, fully-integrated, owned process that the brand uses to control every step of the process—from growing and milling the wheat, to fermenting and distilling the vodka, and bottling the final product.

At one point during my own visit, Thibault brought out four vodkas that had been aged, respectively, in French oak, American oak, cherry, and acacia wood barrels, exemplifying the effect that aging has on spirits as well as his. It might be Thibault’s ingenuity and charisma that helped solidify this place as a special, one-of-a-kind destination, but the picture-perfect surroundings, a perfect match for the French countryside of your dreams, certainly didn’t hurt.