The naming of the Vasse Felix winery has an interesting history. During the Baudin expedition in 1801, a helmsman's assistant named Thomas Timothée Vasse disappeared. It was speculated whether he drowned at sea or was washed ashore on the Australian coast and lived among the indigenous people. Or perhaps he was rescued by an American crew and taken to England, where he was imprisoned. The public in France was informed about the story in the following years and was divided on Vasse's fate. The winery was founded by Dr. Tom Cullity, and he named it Vasse Felix, meaning "lucky" Vasse, hoping that the winery would have a happier fate than Thomas Vasse.