Besides video games, Capcom founder and chairman Kenzo Tsujimoto makes wine. That, and lots of money.
Tsujimoto has gotten into wine-making and last year, he launched his first vintage made at a Napa Valley winery. The property yono business sbi was purchased by Capcom USA in 1990, yono business and Tsujimoto later bought it as a private property. He has fronted this venture with US$100 million of his own money.
His wines are priced between ¥5,000 and ¥15,000 (US$51 – $153) a bottle and are named “Ai” (“indigo” in Japanese), “Murasaki” (“purple”), “Rindo” (“Japanese Bell Flower”) and “Asatsuyu” (“morning dew”). Classy, sure, but there’s a missed crossed branding opportunity. A glass of Street Fighter Bordeaux anyone? With “Bordeaux” being French for SPILLED BLOOD.
According Tsujimoto, crafting video games and crafting wine are “exactly the same.” We’d like to point out that drinking wine and drinking video games, however, are different.
FEATURE: Game maker Capcom’s head takes on wine-making in California [iStock via Capcom Unity]