Vintage

Vintage Rulebook

Table of Contents

Aims of the game

The player with the most Vintage points (abbreviated VP) at the end of the game is the winner.

To obtain VP, players have to sell Port wine. But first they have to acquire Estates, plant vineyards, harvest the grapes, transport the wine to the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, age it and only then sell it. All these actions are represented on the game board.

The player who can keep a constant flow of production, transportation, ageing and sale, with increasing wine quality and quantity, will win the game.

(The comments within yellow boxes in the original are NOT necessary for understanding the rules. They just provide information about Port wine production.)

Game material

This rule booklet
1 game board
4 score markers
64 'harvest quality' chips
80 barrels of Port wine
12 barrels of brandy
4 sets of 6 action markers and 1 overseer (person-shaped piece)
4 player boards
36 cards with white border
9 green 'harvest bonus' chips (3 of each value)
4 sets of 3 Estate tiles
1 die
5 sets of 12 'vineyard' cubes (each colour represents one grape variety)
1 'first player' token
4 Rabelo boats and their plastic stands
3 black 'old vineyard' cubes

The game and player boards

Vila Nova de Gaia: the boats unload the wine barrels into the cellars.
Map: shows the demarcated Douro region and its 3 official sub-regions: Baixo (lower) Corgo, Cima (upper) Corgo, Douro Superior (upper Douro).
Barrels per sub-region: for each sub-region, a number indicates how many barrels can be harvested in each Estate. For example, each Estate in Douro Superior produces 4 barrels per harvest.
Score track: the current VP score of each player is kept on this number track.
End-game scoring graphic: indicates how players score their wine barrels and Estates at the end of the game.
Harbours: each sub-region has one harbour where boats can load the barrels produced in that sub-region's Estates.
Action table: players select actions by placing their action markers and overseer on this action table.
(This is the side of the board to be used with the normal rules.)
Cellar: when a boat arrives in Vila Nova de Gaia, the wine barrels it transports are moved to the player's cellar, either on the Ruby or Tawny side, provided there is space. Each harvest occupies its own column and cannot be mixed with other harvests, even if they have the same quality value.
Estates on the player board: each Estate has 5 slots to place cubes, indicating the vineyards planted. The acquisition value of an Estate is printed on it (e.g. a player has to pay 4VP). The 'Estate quality' value influences the quality of the harvests of that Estate. The Estate tiles are placed over the dashed outlines.

Game setup (for 4 players)

(For 2 and 3 players see "Rules for 2 or 3 players" below.)

The Rabelo boats start the game in Vila Nova de Gaia.
The score markers are placed on 3 VP.
Each player places one of their Estate tiles in Baixo Corgo, together with a green, a yellow and a purple cube. This indicates the Estate is ready to produce wine.
The 9 green 'harvest bonus' chips are turned face down, shuffled, and 7 of them are placed on the round track. The remaining 2 are returned to the box, unseen. The first chip is turned face up, to determine the first round's harvest bonus.
The first and second players each start with one action marker less than the other players, which is placed on the round II 'harvest bonus' chip. The markers will be returned to the players when the second round starts.
Players keep their remaining 2 Estate tiles next to their player boards. The tiles can be placed during the game.
Each player keeps 2 action markers next to their 2 Estate tiles. The player can only use those markers after placing the tiles.
The cards are shuffled, and 4 are placed face up and the remaining face down on these spaces.
Each player places 1 brandy barrel on their board.
The start player is chosen randomly and gets the 'first player' token. Play then proceeds clockwise. In round I, the first and second players each have 3 action markers and the overseer, while the third and fourth players each have 4 action markers and the overseer. In the following rounds, ALL players will have 4 action markers and the overseer.

A game round

The aim of this section is to convey an overall impression of how a game round unfolds. Don't try to understand the actions taken by the players. The details are explained in the following sections. After reading all the rules, come back to this section, because it will help you when starting a game.

Round I, first turn of ALL players (example)

At the start of round I, the first green chip is turned face up, to indicate the harvest bonus for round I. The initial draw determined the yellow player to go first. The grey player goes second. Therefore, each one only gets 3 action markers and the overseer; their fourth markers are placed on the round II 'harvest bonus' chip. When round II starts, those players will get their fourth markers.

The yellow player starts the game and wishes to harvest. The player places an action marker in the 'Harvesting' column of the action table, on the circle with number '1'. The player returns their brandy barrel to the supply and places 2 wine barrels on their Estate.
The grey player places an action marker on the 'Card' column and takes the chosen card.
The white player wants to be first in the next round. The player therefore places an action marker on '1' and receives the 'first player' token from the yellow player.
The orange player wishes to harvest, like the yellow player. Since the '1' circle in the 'Harvesting' column is already occupied, the orange player has to place 2 action markers on the '2' circle, and then returns their brandy barrel to the supply and places 2 wine barrels on their Estate.

End of round I, setting up round II

The 'harvest bonus' chip for round I is turned face down and the chip for round II is turned face up. The action markers on top of it are returned to the corresponding players.
Any remaining face up cards are discarded and new cards are placed.
Players take their action markers and overseer back from the action table. All players now have 4 action markers and the overseer.
Round II can start. The white player holds the 'first player' token and hence goes first.

Game rounds and the action table

In each round, players take turns clockwise. On a player's turn, the player selects ONE action, by placing action markers or the overseer on an unoccupied circle in the action table on the board, and executes it.

The action table indicates the possible actions. There are circles for each action. The number in a circle indicates how many action markers a player has to place on that circle in order to execute the action. If all circles for an action are occupied, the action cannot be selected (see 'Drawing and playing cards' for an exception).

The overseer can be used to select any available action (except moving the boat), with the advantage of substituting any number of action markers.

A round ends when all players have placed all their action markers and overseer or passed their turn.

IMPORTANT: An action can only be selected if the player can execute it. For example, a player without wine barrels in the cellar cannot select the 'Ageing and selling' action.

A player CANNOT execute two actions in the same turn. E.g. the player either plants a purple grape variety vineyard or else ages and sells wine.

Buying an Estate

A player selects this action to acquire an Estate. The player places one of their Estate tiles on an unoccupied dashed place on the board and deducts the corresponding VPs from their score.

When buying an Estate, the player gets 1 additional action marker and places it over the 'harvest bonus' chip for the next round. When that round starts, the player gets the marker.

IMPORTANT: Each player can acquire at most ONE Estate per round.

A symbol on the action table reminds players that they cannot repeat the 'Harvesting' and 'Buying an Estate' actions within the same round. In the example round, ALL players chose to buy an Estate. They used action markers or the overseer, except the grey player, who used a card. That player placed the card next to the action table to remember not to repeat this action in this round.

Planting a vineyard

An Estate can only be harvested if it is planted, i.e. if it has at least 3 vineyards. An Estate cannot ever have 2 vineyards of the same type or grape variety, i.e. all cubes must be of different colours.

To plant a vineyard in an Estate, the player selects one of the 4 planting actions, and immediately places above the Estate 1 cube of the corresponding colour. Players cannot keep cubes for future turns; they must be immediately placed over an estate. Cubes cannot be transferred among estates.

When an Estate has 5 vineyards, the 'Estate quality' increases by 1. This is indicated by placing over the 'Estate quality' number a 'harvest quality' chip with the new value.

An old vineyard (black cube) can only be planted in the Cima Corgo sub-region and only by one player per round. When an old vineyard is planted, the 'Estate quality' increases by 1, even if the Estate is not yet planted, i.e. even if it has fewer than 3 vineyards. Otherwise, the black cubes are used like the other coloured cubes.

If an Estate has 5 vineyards, one of which is an old vineyard, the 'Estate quality' increases by 2 (1 for the old vineyard, 1 for having 5 vineyards).

Examples: The yellow player's Estate cannot yet be harvested, because it only has 2 vineyards. Since the Estate is in Cima Corgo, it may have an old vineyard and thereby increase its quality to 6. The grey player's Estate (also in Cima Corgo) already has 5 vineyards. Since one of them is an old vineyard, the 'Estate quality' increased from 5 to 7.

The orange player selects the 'Plant yellow or white vineyard' action, by placing 1 action marker in this column, and takes 1 yellow cube (Tinta Barroca variety). The player must choose ONE of the varieties. If the player wants the white variety (Tinta Roriz), they must select this action again in a later turn.

(There are over 80 grape varieties, but the 5 varieties represented in this game are the most commonly used to produce Port wine. The Old Vineyards represent those vineyards older than 70 years, which add a great quality to the Port wine.)

Harvesting

When executing this action, players can harvest all their Estates simultaneously. Each Estate can harvest Port wine, brandy, or both. To harvest Port wine it is necessary to spend brandy. Each player can harvest at most ONCE per round.

When an Estate is harvested, the corresponding number of barrels is placed on the Estate. E.g. the player harvested an Estate in Cima Corgo and hence placed 3 barrels.

The player places over the barrels a 'harvest quality' chip with the number corresponding to the sum Estate quality + harvest bonus. (In the example the harvest quality is 6.)

If a player wishes to harvest Port wine, they must own and return to the supply 1 brandy barrel for each harvested Estate, no matter how many wine barrels are produced.

If an Estate only harvests brandy, the number of barrels indicated for the sub-region is immediately placed on the player's board. A player cannot store more than 3 brandy barrels on their board. Surplus barrels are returned to the common supply. (Example: the player chose to harvest only brandy in an Estate in Douro Superior. Each Estate in this sub-region harvests 4 barrels, but since a player can only store 3 brandy barrels, that is the quantity harvested and placed on the player's board.)

IMPORTANT: Although the brandy barrels are stored on the player board, it does not mean they are located in Vila Nova de Gaia. Players never need to transport brandy barrels; they are automatically available to any of the player's Estates where wine is harvested in a following turn.

An Estate can harvest wine and brandy simultaneously. The total amount of barrels harvested is subject to the sub-region's limit. Even if only 1 wine barrel is harvested, 1 previously stored brandy barrel has to be returned to the supply.

The player CANNOT use the just harvested brandy barrels to simultaneously harvest Port wine.

The Port wine barrels harvested from one Estate can NEVER - neither during transportation nor ageing - be separated or mixed with Port wine barrels from other harvests, even if they have the same 'harvest quality'. An Estate can only be harvested if it is free of barrels. If there are still Port wine barrels from a previous harvest, they must be loaded onto the boat before that Estate can be harvested again.

Moving the boat

Each player has one boat in their own colour. The boats transport barrels of Port wine from the Estates to the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. To move their boat, a player places one or more action markers on the circle of their colour and performs as many moves with the boat. The overseer CANNOT be used for this action. If players wish to move their boats again in later turns of the same round, they just add further action markers on top of the previously placed ones.

Each player board has an area with the Rabelo boat icon, divided into three spaces. This allows a boat to transport up to three different harvests at the same time.

Besides the Vila Nova de Gaia harbour, there is one harbour in each sub-region, to serve the Estates in that sub-region. Each harbour can hold multiple boats.

Upstream, each move to the next harbour counts. A boat can load or unload at harbours during its movement. Downstream movement is a single move, no matter how many harbours the boat goes through, where it may load barrels.

A boat does not have to move to load barrels from the Estates: it suffices to be in the corresponding harbour and to have space available.

When the boat arrives at Vila Nova de Gaia, the barrels it holds are transferred to the cellar on the player's board, to the 'Ruby' and/or 'Tawny' spaces (see the 'Ageing and selling' action to understand the options). A cellar may hold up to 4 harvests at any time. Additional harvests have to remain on the boat until there is space in the cellar.

Example: the yellow player's boat is in Baixo Corgo. When harvesting, the player immediately loads the wine barrels from the Estate in that sub-region onto the boat. When the player selects the 'Move boat' action, they place 2 markers to first move the boat upstream to the next harbour, where it loads the barrels from the other Estate, and then return to Vila Nova de Gaia.

Ageing and selling

To execute this action, the player must have wine barrels in their cellar. The action applies to ALL those barrels. The player rolls the die. For each harvest, the rolled number is added to the harvest quality, and the obtained number indicates the category in the warehouse (each with a range of values) to which the barrels of that harvest are moved. Whenever the warehouse spaces for a category run out, subsequent barrels are moved to the next lowest category. The Vintage category can only be achieved by playing a card. The harvest quality chips are returned to the common supply.

Should barrels be placed in the Ruby or Tawny cellar columns? Ruby wines award more VP, but it is harder to achieve the highest quality category, even requiring a card for the top Vintage category. Tawny wines award fewer VP, but it is easier to achieve the highest quality category.

When a boat arrives in Vila Nova de Gaia, the barrels of each harvest are placed on the 4 available columns in the cellar. There are two columns for Ruby wine and two for Tawny. All barrels from the same harvest go into the same column, which must be empty.

Examples (the player rolled 3 on the die):

This Ruby wine achieved a quality of 10 (7+3) which corresponds to the LBV category: 2 barrels are placed there but the third must go to the next category below.
The wine from this harvest achieved a quality of 9 (6+3) which corresponds to the category Tawny 10/20/30/40 years: 3 barrels are stored there and the remaining in the category below.
Lastly, this harvest resulted in a wine of quality 7 (4+3). The barrels are placed on the Ruby Reserva category (quality range 6 to 9).

After ALL barrels in the cellar have aged and moved to the warehouse, the VP for all completed categories are added, advancing the player's score marker on the score track. The scored barrels are sold, i.e. returned to the common supply. With the example sale, the player obtained 2+3+3=8VP.

The categories with available spaces don't award any points. Those barrels remain in the warehouse until further barrels are aged and fill the warehouse spaces in those categories.

The bottom Ruby and Tawny warehouse spaces can hold ANY number of barrels. At the end of the action, each set of 4 Ruby (or 5 Tawny) barrels is returned to the common supply and awards 1VP to the player.

(There are 4 family types of Port wine: Ruby and Tawny (the red Port wines), WHITE and ROSE. Only the first two types are considered for this game, because they made Port wine famous. It's through the Ruby and Tawny Port wines (and especially their superior categories, Vintage and Colheita) that one recognizes the genius of those who work and create in the Douro Valley a world wide unique product.)

Becoming first player

At the start of the game, players choose randomly who plays first in round I. That player gets the 'first player' token and keeps it until another player selects this action.

When that happens, the player who selected this action gets the 'first player' token and will start subsequent rounds, until someone else selects this action.

This action can be selected by at most one player per round. The player who holds the token may select this action to ensure to be again the first to play in the next round.

The token indicates who the first player is. Play then proceeds clockwise.

Drawing and playing cards

The game includes a deck of 36 cards. Selecting this action allows players to obtain or play a card, and thereby benefit from its effects. Each card is explained in the Cards section below.

The game starts with 4 face up cards next to the action table. During a round, cards taken are not replaced. Cards remaining at the end of the round are discarded to the used cards pile and 4 new cards are drawn and placed face up. When the draw deck is exhausted, the used cards pile is shuffled and forms the new draw deck. Players may not hold more than 2 cards in their hands.

If a player holds 2 cards and selects this action to obtain a card, the player must first discard one of their cards to the used card pile, without benefiting from its effect, before taking the new card.

The draw deck is placed face down on its space; the used (i.e. discarded and played) cards are placed face up on theirs.

To obtain a card, a player places 1 action marker or the overseer on any unoccupied circle here, and either takes 1 face up card or else draws 1 card from the top of the draw deck.

To play the card and benefit from its effect, the player will have to select this action again in another turn, in this or a later round.

Rules for 2 or 3 players

With 3 players, the game starts with only 3 Estates in Baixo Corgo, each one ready to harvest. Only the first player starts with 3 action markers and the overseer. The circles with green background in the action table CANNOT be used.

With 2 players, the game starts with only 2 Estates. Only the first player starts with 3 action markers and the overseer. The circles with green or brown background CANNOT be used.

End of the game

The game ends in round VII, when no player wants to or can play anymore. To the VP scored during the game each player adds:

1 VP for each set of 4 Port wine barrels they own (whether in the boat, cellar, warehouse or Estates).
The acquisition value of each of their planted Estates, i.e. with at least 3 vineyards (whether one of them is old or not).
1 VP for each of their Estates with 5 vineyards planted (whether one of them is old or not).

In case of a tie, the player with most Estates wins. If the tie persists, the player with the highest 'Estate quality' sum wins. If players still remain tied, they share the victory.

Cards

Buying an Estate

The player executes a 'Buying an Estate' action, if they haven't executed it previously in the same round. Additionally, the player may either pay 1VP less or else plant a vineyard of their choice (except an old vineyard) on the acquired Estate.

The player places this card on the space with the player's colour next to the action table, to remind them not to repeat this action in this round. At the end of the round, cards next to the action table are moved to the used card pile.

Harvesting

The player executes the 'Harvesting' action, if they haven't executed it previously in the same round, with one difference: the player only spends 1 brandy barrel for ALL Estates (instead of for each) in which wine is harvested.

The player places this card on the space with the player's colour next to the action table, to remind them not to repeat this action in this round.

Planting 3 vineyards

The player plants 3 different vineyards (except old vineyards), not necessarily in the same Estate. The player CANNOT keep vineyards for future use.

Harvesting +2 wine barrels

The player adds 2 wine barrels to ONE of their Estates that already has wine barrels on it.

Free action

The player executes any action, except for 'Planting an old vineyard', 'Moving the boat' and 'Becoming first player'.

The card can be used for 'Harvesting' or 'Buying an Estate' if the player hasn't executed that action previously in the same round, and then it has to be placed next to the action table, to remind the player not to repeat the chosen action in the same round.

Enologist bonus

The player looks at any face down 'harvest bonus' chip of their choice, without showing it to the other players, and places this card on the right hand side of the player board. From then on until the end of the current round, after each ageing the player moves all the barrels in the warehouse one category up (if there is space) before selling them. This card allows wine to achieve the Vintage category.

Selling a RUBY Vintage barrel

The player moves any ONE Ruby wine barrel from the cellar directly to the Vintage warehouse space, earns 4VP, and returns the barrel to the common supply.

Selling 2 TAWNY Colheita barrels

The player moves any 2 Tawny wine barrels from the cellar directly to the Colheita warehouse spaces, earns 4VP, and returns the barrels to the common supply.

Moving the boat

The player executes a 'Moving the boat' action, with up to 4 moves.

Ageing +1 barrel

The player executes an 'Ageing and selling' action with one difference: before selling, the player adds ONE barrel from the common supply to any free space in the warehouse, but not in categories above those of the existing barrels.

Ageing with +1 quality

The player executes an 'Ageing and selling' action with one difference: the player adds 1 to the value rolled with the die.

Tactics for improved playing

Manage the brandy. Take care not to run out of brandy. Whenever you harvest, try to obtain some wine and some brandy, to ensure that in the next round you can harvest wine again. This is especially important if the next round has a harvest bonus of 2, the best possible value.

Produce continuously. Try to harvest EVERY round. More than the quality of the harvested wine, the quantity harvested is a determinant for victory. Achieving a constant production flow of Port wine is half the way to victory.

Increase the harvest capacity. Augment your harvest capacity as quickly as possible. The only way to do so is by acquiring Estates. If you can buy one in round I, so much the better. This will help you manage your brandy barrel stock better and enable you to execute actions efficiently, with increasing quantities of wine.

Increase the Estate quality. Increase the quality of your Estates by planting 5 vineyards and/or an old vineyard, in the case of Estates in Cima Corgo. This will help you achieve higher categories after ageing, receiving more VPs from their sale.

Choosing cards first. Cards can be of great benefit to players. Being the first to play is very important, as it allows you to choose the best of the 4 face up cards at the start of a round.

Using the overseer. Try to plan your game without using the overseer. He will be very useful towards the end of a round, when you wish to execute an action that requires many action markers. For example, you can use him to harvest: typically all players harvest during a round and the action can become very expensive for you if you haven't kept the overseer.

Observe the other players. Take into account the other players' situations before planning your turns. For example, if you are the only one with barrels in the cellar, no one else will immediately execute the 'Ageing and selling' action. You can therefore leave it for later in the round, as it won't cost you more.