Felicette Grenache Noir

Felicette takes its name from the first cat sent into space by France in the 1960s, which already tells you this isn’t exactly a dusty old-school wine brand taking itself too seriously. The wines lean bright, juicy and easygoing, with labels full of cosmic cats and enough personality to stand out on shelves without drifting into novelty nonsense. Weird concept honestly, but it works ridiculously well.

Produced in southern France, the range focuses on approachable Mediterranean-style wines packed with ripe fruit and loads of drinkability. Grenache features heavily throughout, bringing soft berry fruit, gentle spice and smooth texture without massive tannins or heavy oak getting in the way. The rosé especially feels built for sunny afternoons and accidentally opening a second bottle.

Underneath the fun branding there’s properly solid winemaking too. The wines stay fresh, balanced and clean rather than sugary or overworked, which can happen pretty quickly once labels start featuring cats in astronaut helmets.

Part of the appeal is that Felicette feels relaxed from start to finish. No intimidating wine jargon. No pretending you need to identify twelve different forest floor aromas before you’re allowed to enjoy it. Just tasty French wine with a slightly chaotic backstory and very drinkable results.

For easy southern French bottles with loads of charm and zero stiffness, Felicette lands beautifully.