Wine Cellar
Wine Cellar Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 72 Wine Bottle cards
- 30 Client cards
- Scorepad
- Rulebook
| # of Players | Cards Used |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | 1–18 |
| 3 | 1–27 |
| 4 | 1–36 |
| 5 | 1–45 |
| 6 | 1–54 |
| 7 | 1–63 |
| 8 | All cards |
Setup
-
Find the Wine Bottle cards needed for the number of players in your game, according to the table above. Return the other Wine Bottle cards to the box.
Example: For a 3-player game, find the Wine Bottle cards numbered 1 to 27.
-
Shuffle the Wine Bottle cards and deal a hand of eight cards face-down to each player. Place the remaining Wine Bottle cards face-up in a column in the middle of the table — these are the Prize bottles for the first round.
-
Shuffle the Client cards and deal two cards face-down to each player. Each player looks at their cards to choose one to keep, placing it face-up in front of them, and discards the other.
You're ready to begin!
Overview
Over the course of eight rounds, players make bids at auction to win the Wine Bottles they wish to add to their Client's cellar.
Players arrange their bottles in the order they will be consumed. Each bottle is worth a different number of points, depending on how long it has been left to Age before drinking.
Players also score points based on their Client's preferences for Wine Type and Country of Origin.
Each Wine Bottle card shows its Wine Type, Bid Value, Country of Origin, Age Scores, and Varietal Notes.
Wine Types
- White
- Sparkling
- Red
- Rosé
How to Play
-
Each round, all players simultaneously choose a Wine Bottle card from their hand and put it face-down in front of them as their Bid in the auction. Once all players have done so, everyone reveals their chosen card.
The player whose card has the highest Bid Value is first to choose a Prize bottle to add to their Client's cellar.
The player with the second-highest Bid Value is second to choose, and so on, until every player has chosen a Prize bottle.
-
Take your Prize bottle and turn it sideways (the best way to store wine) to begin your Client's cellar. After the first round, you must store new bottles in your cellar at either the top or the bottom of the previously collected bottles, never between them.
-
Move the Wine Bottle cards used in this round's bidding to the center of the table. These cards become the Prize bottles for the next round.
Game End
Play continues until all Wine Bottle cards have been played and each player has eight bottles stacked in their Client's cellar.
Then it's time to score!
Scoring
Cellar Score
Each bottle features a row of eight Age Scores, representing the quality of the wine at the time of opening.
The top card in your Client's cellar is the first to be opened, so you score the points shown by the first Age Score in its row.
For the second bottle, you score the points shown by the second Age Score in its row, and so on for the whole collection.
Client Bonuses
Compare the bottles you've collected against the Client card you chose at the start of the game. You score bonus points if the Wine Type or Country of Origin matches your Client's preferences. You can score more than one bonus from the same bottle.
Note: When scoring the Country of Origin section, score only for countries that match the number of players.
Final Score
Add your Cellar Score to your Client Bonuses. The player with the highest total wins!
In the event of a tie, victory is shared — or play again!
Example Scoring
Rebecca created a cellar for her Client, Alley de la Duraznos.
A. The Cellar Score of the collection is: 6 + 2 + 5 + 7 + 7 + 3 + 4 + 8 = 42 points
B. The Client prefers Sparkling and White wines.
Rebecca collected one bottle of Sparkling wine: 1 × 6 points per bottle = 6 points
She also collected three bottles of White wine: 3 × 1 point per bottle = 3 points
C. In a 3-player game, this Client prefers wines from France and Italy.
Rebecca collected one bottle from France but unfortunately did not collect any from Italy: 1 × 3 points per bottle = 3 points
Rebecca's final score is 54 points — the winning score!
Advanced 3-Game Variant
Setup
-
Find the Wine Bottle cards needed for your game in the usual way. Return the unused Wine Bottle cards to the box.
-
Divide the Wine Bottle cards into two piles: one with the bottom half of the numbers, and the other with the top half.
If the number of cards is odd, put the extra card in the pile for the bottom half.
Example: A 4-player game uses cards 1-36, so these are divided into two piles, with 1-18 in the bottom half and 19-36 in the top half.
-
Shuffle the piles separately and deal four cards from each pile face-down to each player. This ensures each player gets a balance of high and low values to start.
The remaining Wine Bottle cards form the Prize bottles in the first round as usual.
-
Find the Client cards to use in this game:
- 2 or 3 players: There are two separate sets of Client cards, marked with "A" or "B" after the name. Both sets are suitable for 2 or 3 players. Choose A or B and find the matching Client cards. Return the unused cards to the box.
- 4+ players: Use all Client cards.
Shuffle the Client cards and deal two cards to each player. Each player looks at their cards to choose one to keep, placing it face-up in front of them, and discards the other.
How to Play
Play the game in the usual way.
At Game End
A. Score the game as usual, but don't declare a winner just yet! B. Discard the current Client cards and deal two new Client cards to each player. Each player chooses one to keep, placing it face-up in front of them, and discards the other. C. Take all the Wine Bottle cards in your collection from the previous game into your hand — this is your starting hand for the next game.
The cards used for the final Bid from the last game are the Prize bottles for the first round of the next game.
D. Once you've played three games this way, add up your scores from each game. The player with the highest total is the winner.
Solo Rules: Playing Against Eno
Setup
Shuffle the Wine Bottle cards numbered 1–18 and deal two face-down decks of eight cards each. One is your hand, and the other stays face-down as Eno's hand.
Place the remaining two cards face-up as the Prize bottles for the first round.
Shuffle the Client cards and draw two cards. Choose one to keep as your Client. The other becomes Eno's Client and will dictate Eno's choices in the game.
How to Play
At the start of each round, choose a card from your hand and place it face-up in front of you as your Bid card.
In the first round, Eno flips over two cards. In later rounds, Eno flips over one new card to add to the card already face-up in front of them. Compare your Bid Value to the highest of Eno's two revealed Bid Values.
A. If your Bid Value is higher:
You choose first from the Prize bottles and add the bottle to your collection, following the usual rules. The second Prize card would normally go to the other player, but Eno does not create a cellar — place the card back in the box instead.
Move your Bid card and Eno's lowest-value Bid card to be the Prize bottles for the next round. Eno's other card stays as one of their two Bids in the next round.
B. If your Bid Value is lower:
Eno chooses first from the Prize bottles, trying to take a card that matches their Client's preferences in this order of priority:
- The first Wine Type bonus.
- The second Wine Type bonus.
- The first Country of Origin bonus.
- If neither Prize bottle matches their Client card (or if both Prizes are an equal match), Eno chooses the Prize with the highest Bid Value.
Eno does not create a cellar — place Eno's chosen Prize back in the box.
Add the other Prize bottle to your collection, following the usual rules.
Move your Bid card and Eno's highest-value Bid card to be the Prize bottles for the next round. Eno's other card stays as one of their two Bids in the next round.
Game End
Continue playing until you have eight bottles stacked in your Client's cellar, then score as usual to determine your final ranking.
| Score | Rank |
|---|---|
| 73+ | Master Sommelier |
| 67–72 | Capable Sommelier |
| 60–67 | Wine Geek |
| 0–60 | Still Fermenting |
Credits
- Design: Andrew Stiles
- Art: Vincent Dutrait
- Graphic Design: Matt Paquette & Co.
- Development & Production: Chad Elkins
- UX/UI Consulting: Kate Finch, Joel Finch
- Rulebook Editing: Ric White, Joel Finch, Jon Healey
Designer Notes: My goal was to create a simple card-based wine game that could help people better understand how wine ages, and showcase amazing lesser-known wines from around the world. Hopefully this game inspires you to further explore the different kinds of wines in the world.
I'd like to thank the playtesters who helped shape and evolve this game into what it is today: Rebecca Moraris, Jack Rosetree, Maxine & Randy Ekl, Daryl Andrews, Phil Amylon, Matthew Rodela, Martin Daine, John D Wood, Jason Harris, Karl Smelser, Gene Chipman, Chris Backe, Xoe Allred, Steve Mendivil, Suzanne & Al Stiles, Lisa Blume, Alex & Thom, Steve & Matthew, Dan King.