NO MAN'S SKY & CANTINE COLOSI NERO D'AVOLA
A long, long time ago...I sat in my papasan awaiting for the arrival of midnight so that I could hop into what I thought would be one of the greatest games of my lifetime. Now, unfortunately, we all know how this story ended. The launch of No Man's Sky wasn't what any of us had hoped it would be. As a story driven girl with a lack of affinity for complicated UI, I quickly forgot about No Man's Sky. I wasn't nearly as angry as some of my colleagues and friends about the game...just disappointed. I let it fall by the wayside and moved on with my life. Fast forward 3 years and I'm purchasing No Man's Sky a second time on PC so that I can embark on a new space adventure with my streaming buddy.
Games get updated all the time. It's sort of how the industry works now-a-days. A game is released, its not perfect, and a slew of updates follow. Maybe bugs are fixed, or maybe they just add new content to keep players' interest peaked. In any case, No Man's Sky goes above and beyond...pun intended, as the latest update is literally entitled "No Man's Sky Beyond". l had low expectations going into this game the second time around, hoping to maybe have some fun, space-romping time and that's about it. But I've been pleased with what I've found. The flora and fauna that I've encountered on each planet leaves me starry eyed. The character customization left both of us feeling exhilarated and giddy. The messages guiding us from planet to planet are cryptic enough for intrigue but not enough to make us rush through our experience in pursuit. We explore, collect, and build at our leisure. Apparently you can farm and cook, and while I haven't gotten there, you bet I fed an alien animal as soon as the UI instructed me to do so.
The funny thing about this post is that when the game originally released, I was hoping it could be one of my first wine and game pairings. I had searched the aisles for something wonderfully earthy and sophisticated, and I found a classic red wine that was deliciously hearty. However, it was far too robust and complex to be paired with my lack of enjoyment in No Man's Sky. As the years have gone by and I've heard vague implications of the game's progressive betterment, I always kept the thought of a pairing on the back burner. Back in the fall, the label of Cantine Colosi's Nero D'Avola caught my eye. I loved the illustration of otherworldly foliage with a hint of metalic shine. I took the bottle home, tried it, and quite thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember thinking..."Hmm, if I ever manage to do a pairing for No Man's Sky, this could be appropriate." And now here we are. Cantine Colosi Nero D'Avola packs a powerful punch, much like the Beyond update. This lovely red is full-bodied, dry, and bursting with ripe fruit flavors. It's also got a bit of spice and earthiness to it, with notes of leather and ink. I love that the label has a biological illustration feel too it as well, it seems extremely appropriate given the fact that we're discovering new fauna every other moment. There's so much going on with this wine, much like that of No Man's Sky. I'm so happy I've hopped back on this rocket-powered band wagon, and I'll be doing so while excitedly sipping Cantine Colosi Nero D'Avola.
And if you care to follow my adventures in No Man's Sky, please check out our stream! SecularMoralist and I will be streaming on Sunday evenings for the foreseeable future...follow us on Twitter to stay updated with the schedule!
