
When one says the word “gamer” what comes to mind? A basement-dwelling loner who spends the majority of his waking hours leveling up? A testosterone-filled jock who high fives the brahs with each successful touchdown? A potential axe-murderer who has let the devil’s playthings consume his soul? All of these stereotypes have hovered over the hobby for some time now, but Mike James looks to add a new one: smooth operator.
A self-professed nerd and wine lover, Mr. James combined his two passions into Player 1, a wine designed for “anyone who spent time trying to save a princess or fit odd shaped blocks together.” His liquid magic comes from fruit grown in choice vineyards within Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley, and is aged in a selection of fine cooperage. I’m not quite sure what that means, but it sounds undeniably pimp.
Priced at a reasonable $18 a pop, the bottles feature 8-bit style labels that recall systems of days past. A bottle of Player 1 may not turn you into this, but you can at least pull off this.

