Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Game On! 8-Bit Vintners

When it comes to gaming I plead ignorance, but I wasn’t always. In the early 80’s I polished my skills on Ms. Pacman. I was in a situation of "if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em." At the time, my young step-son and his friends were very much into arcades and when we took the kids out for pizza after a football game, they became glued to the video games.

Mike James, self-proclaimed gaming geek and owner/winemaker of 8-Bit Vintners realized while gamers were busy slaying dragons and saving princesses, these heroes with square box weapons needed their own wine. I could hardly wait to try 8-Bit Vintners “Player 1” when I first heard it was to be bottled in July.

“Player 1” is a red blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Tempranillo, 10% Cab Sauv, and 5% of Carmenere and 5% Malbec produced with fruit from the Columbia and Walla Walla Valleys. Mike chose to use screw caps instead of corks and it wasn’t a statement against corks either. His intentions for the wine was easy access and to be enjoyed NOW! Like who needs to screw with a cork when you are busy playing with your joy stick?

A few days ago, I heard my doorbell ring just as I opened my first bottle of 8-Bit Vintners. It was a good friend stopping by and he must have heard the snap and release of the bottle cap. It was a fun surprise and a great reason for an impromptu plate of water crackers, crisp apple slices and a wheel of smoked gouda. We found the blend to be an “easy sipper.” Right up front it showed the fruitiness of the syrah with just a hint of spice at the end. The tannins were well balanced and the acids didn’t clash with the tartness of the apples. Yeah, and the price is right. At $18 a bottle it’s a wine you could enjoy every day or share with friends for a special event. Rumor is there may be a white blend named “Player 2.”

I think Mike James has accomplished his goal. Game on!

6 comments:

Benito said...

As a geek who grew up in the 70s/80s, and became a wine lover in the 90s... THAT IS THE MOST AWESOME LABEL EVER.

Will it ever be available in Tennessee, or do I just have to move to the Pacific Northwest to get access to all these awesome wines?

wild walla walla wine woman said...

Hi Ben,

You're right, it's a very awesome label. Get yourself an address in another state and we'll talk.
Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers,
Catie

goblinbox said...

Smoked gouda FTW!

wild walla walla wine woman said...

FTW?
For the win?
F@%$ the world?
F@%$ the wheel of gouda?

Anonymous said...

Love the blog! And thanks for the twitter follow!

wild walla walla wine woman said...

Hey Cuvasion!
Thanks for stopping by. I loved visiting your winery and tasting your wonderful wines this summer during the WBC!
Cheers,
C~

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