Tag: Trader Joe’s

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From Bold Reds to Deep Scares: Tasting Trader Joe’s Dearly Beloved Red Blend & Playing Renegade’s Terror Below!

From Bold Reds to Deep Scares: Tasting Trader Joe’s Dearly Beloved Red Blend & Playing Renegade’s Terror Below!

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Meeples & Wine: Dodging Worms and Sipping Reds in Terror Below

Hey there, Meeples & Wine fans! It’s Michael and Suzy, your go-to duo for board game reviews tailored for couples, always with a glass of something tasty in hand. Got a game or wine you think we should try? Shoot us an email at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or leave a message at (707) 572-5282 or via our Speakpipe. Let’s jump into this week’s episode!

We’re kicking things off with a bold pour of Dearly Beloved I Thee Red 2023, a red blend from Lodi, California. This wine’s got serious autumn vibes with its Dia de Los Muertos-inspired bottle art. Crafted from a mix of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Tannat, and Tempranillo, it’s bursting with dark cherry, plum, and spicy vanilla oak aromas, plus flavors of blueberry, black currant, and toasted vanilla bean. It’s perfect for sipping solo or pairing with aged cheeses, roasted meats, or pasta with a hearty red sauce. We’ll check back later to see how it’s evolved since we popped the cork!

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show: Terror Below from Renegade Game Studios. Designed by Mike Elliott (known for Marvel Dice Masters and Thunderstone Quest) with art by Eric Hibbeler (Sky Team), this game has a 6.7/10 rating on BoardGameGeek and a light 1.94/5 complexity, playable by 1-5 players. In Terror Below, you’re racing through the Nevada desert, collecting Worm Eggs, delivering them for bounties, and maybe even hunting giant W.O.R.M.s (Weapons of Remote Massacre) if you’re feeling brave. The catch? Moving fast attracts those vicious underground worms, so strategy is key!

Here’s how it plays: your goal is to hit 20 Victory Points first by collecting and delivering Eggs, completing bounties, or slaying worms. Each turn, you play a Vehicle card to distract a worm, moving its Target token to keep it off your tail. Then, you spend Action Points to move your pawn, clear rubble, pick up Eggs, or deliver them to Locations for points. Special card abilities add some flair, and you refill your hand to three cards at the end. Between turns, worms might attack, dropping Eggs and Rubble—or worse, catching you in a fight. If you’re armed with Weapon or Item cards, you can hunt the worm for a VP or bounty; if not, your Leader might bite the dust and you’ll respawn with a new one. It’s a wild mix of action points, dice rolling, grid movement, and pick-up-and-deliver mechanics with variable player powers for extra spice. Oh, and there’s a Hidden Cache Expansion if you want more chaos!

Before we sign off, we’re hyped about some upcoming games we found on crowdfunding. Check out Dice Throne Vanguard on Kickstarter and Trenchcoat Raccoons: A Chaotic, Fail-Forward Heist RPG by OneShot TPK on Gamefound. Next week, we’ll be diving into another game—stay tuned for details!

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and let us know what you want us to play or sip next at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or via (707) 572-5282 or Speakpipe. That’s all for now—keep sipping, gaming, and loving those game nights. See you next time on Meeples & Wine! Buh-Bye!

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Alien: Fate of the Nostromo and Trader Joe’s Reserve: Vinsobres

Alien: Fate of the Nostromo and Trader Joe’s Reserve: Vinsobres

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We’re back and asking; Is Alien Fate of the Nostromo good for two players and how do you actually pronounce “Vinsobres”?

For our tasting we’ve got Trader Joe’s Reserve: Vinsobres a French wine from the southern Rhone Valley. The Vinsobres region was given its own special AOC status in 2006, putting it on par with other notable areas like Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The wine is a blend of 52% Grenache and 48% Syrah. You can expect a spicy aroma with notes of dill, cinnamon, and clove, along with flavors of blackberry, black pepper, and licorice.

Alien: Fate of the Nostromo has been out since 2021, and has been sitting in our queue for a while. Made by Ravensburger this co-op game faces the ill fated team of the Nostromo against the Xenomorph, will the Alien win or will the crew survive?

Here’s the link to the “Directors Cut” rules that the game designer Scott Rogers put together on the Board Game Geek forums – Here’s the PDF and here’s a link to the forum THREAD. You can find out our thoughts on the ruleset in the show!

For our Last Call we’re taking a look at the new Bezier game “The Game Makers”! You want to know more about the game The Game Makers in a blog post style? Let’s dive into it.

Ever dreamed of building your own board game empire? The Game Makers lets you do just that! This game, from the designer of hits like Suburbia, is a love letter to the board gaming hobby. It’s a “meta” game where you become a board game manufacturer, racing against your opponents to create the greatest collection of games.

So, how does it work? You and the other players are represented by little forklifts (yes, forklifts!) that move around a central warehouse. On each turn, you’ll grab components to fulfill contracts and build real-world, licensed games. We’re talking about games you probably already have on your shelf, like Wingspan, Terraforming Mars, and Brass: Birmingham. It’s a really cool, nostalgic experience to “manufacture” your favorite games.

But it’s not just about collecting games. You’ll also be managing your own factory on your player board. You can use those same components you collect to upgrade your factory, unlock special abilities, and even boost your marketing tracks to score points. The game moves at a quick pace thanks to simultaneous play, so even with a larger group, you won’t be waiting long for your turn to come around.

If you’ve got a game that you’d like us to demo get in touch at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, at our Twitter (@Meeplesandwine) or Facebook or if you’d like to leave us a voicemail you can go to 

https://www.speakpipe.com/MeeplesandWine or call at (707) 572-5282!

You can also check out our quicklinks page! https://podcast.show/meeplesandwine/