Best New World Winery 2017 - Wine Enthusiast Magazine
5 Star Winery - Halliday Wine Companion
"Vasse Felix was the first commercial vineyard and winery to be established in the Margaret River region of Western Australia. The vineyard took its unusual name from an early event in the district. Vasse was a French seaman who drowned last century when his longboat overturned near the site of Busselton while exploring the coastline on the ship "Geographe" under Captain Freycinet. Paradoxically, Felix is the Latin word for fortunate or luck. Thus the name refers to a favoured place in Australia discovered by the French. In 1965 Dr John S Gladstones emphasised the region's suitability on his report "The Climate and Soils of Southern WA in relation to Vine Growing". Two years later Dr Tom Cullity planted vines and Vasse Felix was born. The bird depicted on the label is a peregrine falcon. The native birds were an immense problem at harvest, so Dr Cullity used trained falcons to deter the silver eyes and parrots. Although much time and effort went into this exercise, it was not successful with the birds failing to return after free flying.In 1987, Vasse Felix was purchased by the Holmes Court family and today grows under the leadership of Mrs Janet Holmes Court." - Vasse Felix
