To celebrate the start of summer and its French heritage, Grey Goose recently brought the taste and aesthetic of the French Riviera to four cities in Canada. The vodka brand launched the Grey Goose Marché ("market" in French), a traveling outdoor pop-up market inspired by Cote D’Azur, and one-night dining experiences in partnership with Christophe Dufau, owner and executive chef of Michelin-starred restaurant Les Bacchanales in Vence, France.
The two-day markets, which sold products from local vendors, came to Toronto on June 21 to 22 and Montreal June 29 to 30, while the dining experiences with Dufau and Grey Goose Canada brand ambassador Stephanie Lamb also took place in those two cities, as well as Vancouver on June 25 and Calgary June 27.
Grey Goose Canada’s senior brand manager Michael Corvese said the aesthetic of the inaugural pop-up series was designed to pay homage to the latest iteration of the brand’s limited-edition Riviera Series bottles, in collaboration with French illustrator Quentin Monge. The bottles feature blue and white striped umbrellas, which are meant to symbolize summers in the French Riviera. Corvese added that the local products for sale at the markets mirrored the brand’s field-to-bottle philosophy.
“Grey Goose set out to showcase perfect combination of the finest French ingredients and a summer well lived with Grey Goose Marché. Naturally, the idea of Grey Goose popping up an iconic French market harkening that same blue and white style was a perfect fit,” said Corvese. “It all came together with the partnership with chef Dufau. Known for his ever-changing menu inspired by the freshest ingredients he finds at the local marché or catch in the sea, he became the perfect person to spearhead our dinner series by bringing a literal taste of the French Riviera to Canada.”
At the markets, which were free and open to the public, guests could peruse stands selling seasonal fruit and vegetables, baguettes and French pastries, preserves, and floral bouquets. The markets, which were meant to evoke the streets of Nice, were produced and designed by Pomp & Circumstance and Community Agency. The pop-ups incorporated Grey Goose branding into the vendor stands, bars, and Instagrammable installations, which included hanging blue and white striped umbrellas, topiary, and swing sets.
“Partnering with local vendors in Toronto and Montreal was very important to us for Grey Goose Marché. We wanted this to be more than just a brand story—we wanted to showcase the best the cities had to offer,” Corvese said. “Chef Dufau spoke very highly of the local markets in the Cote d'Azur and being inspired by the colors and flavors of the season to create a new menu every week. We wanted that experience to be accessible to anyone who came and shopped Grey Goose Marché.”
The reservation-only dinners consisted of a seasonally inspired three-course meal with dishes made with ingredients from local markets—and paired with Grey Goose cocktails including the brand’s official summer cocktail, the Grey Goose Le Grand Fizz.
Here’s a look at how Grey Goose brought the spirit of the French Riviera to Canada.
