A French wine producer has created an arcade-style game that lets players win bottles of wine. Luc Belaire, produced in the south of France, has launched the Belaire Claw Machine, the first of its kind for wine.
“The Belaire Claw Machine is in keeping with Belaire’s identity as a groundbreaking, disruptive brand – and it’s simply a lot of fun,” said Brett Berish, CEO of Sovereign Brands, which owns Luc Belaire.
Players race against a 30-second timer, trying to position a joystick in the right place so a claw will descend and grab a small-format bottle of wine. If successful within the time period, the bottle is carried to a drop zone and released so the player can retrieve it.
The machine itself is seven-foot high (more than two metres) and customised with Belaire’s black and pink colours. It is full of 175ml and 375ml bottles and sits in the New York headquarters of Sovereign Brands, where it can only be played by invitation.
Berish said the New York office has become something of a hangout for recording artists. “Whether they’re filming content at our permanent sets for Belaire It Out & The Bubu Room or making cocktails in the in-house bar for our Cocktail Hour series, artists love coming here to have fun, enjoy our brands and be a part of our family.”
Luc Belaire was established in Montagny-les-Beaune in 1898 and the family still makes the wine. The range includes Belaire Gold, a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend made in Burgundy, which uses cane sugar for the dosage. The company also makes rosé from Provence, along with a range called Fantôme, where the cuvées come in a luminescent bottle that lights up at the touch of a button.
