Final Fantasy XIV has collaborated with many other games and brands over the years, but their latest partnership with The Prisoner Wine Company might be their most refined. As announced on FFXIV’s socials on Feb. 16, it seems Square Enix hasn’t quite finished celebrating FFXIV: A Realm Reborn’s 10th anniversary as it unveils The Prisoner X Final Fantasy XIV wine.
The wine reportedly commemorates the 10th anniversary and at the time of writing was only confirmed to be released in Japan, sold at Sake no Yamaya stores. However, given that The Prisoner is a California wine company, you could see some FFXIV wine stocked in the US in the future.
The wine itself is The Prisoner Red Blend, a 2022 vintage that retails normally in the US for $52 a bottle. A blend of grapes, including a Merlot, a Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine reportedly has an aroma of bing cherry, dark chocolate, clove, and roasted fig. The tasting notes mention raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, and vanilla.
As per the wine’s box, Todd Ricard, director of winemaking at The Prisoner Wine Company, had a good explanation behind the seemingly out of left field collaboration: “The Prisoner is part of my soul, it is all about respecting tradition but subscribing to no convention. I’ve been a Final Fantasy fan for many years. To me, it represents similar values which is why I’m proud of this partnership.”
The company itself certainly appears to live up to that philosophy. The Prisoner Wine Company takes its name from a sketch by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, who was known for his sometimes brutal depictions of the Spanish War of Independence. The sketch, "Le Petit Prisoner" is shown on many of the winemaker’s vintages. With this FFXIV collaboration, the piece is referenced with the chains of the prisoner replaced with the chains of the Warrior of Light’s Holmgang.
Still, it’s unknown if this unique collaboration will make its way outside of Japan. International FFXIV fans often find themselves jealous of the offers and merchandise that Japanese players have access to. Even with this Californian winemaker collaboration, those in the US could find their glasses empty when it comes to FFXIV vino.
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