Bottles on Board

Wine Wars!
Let the battle begin as you answer questions in categories such as Vine to Vino (growing grapes, making wine and world production), Wine Cellar (selecting, storing and tasting wine) and Cork Culture (wine people, business, arts and science, and trivia). Perfect for those new to the world of wine, but challenging enough for the devoted connoisseur, Wine Wars! will have you swirling, sniffing and sipping your way to a vinified victory. $13.50; www.uncommongoods.com  

Wine-Opoly
This wine-inspired version of the classic lets enophiles and amateurs learn interesting facts while striving to find the appropriate vintage. Players buy, sell and trade their favorite varietals in an attempt to be the savviest aficionados. Add import taxes and wine service blunders, and Wine-Opoly becomes a little more difficult and a lot more entertaining. Players pieces include: wine bottle, cork, wine glass, cheese, grapes and a carafe. $24.95; www.lateforthesky.com

Bouquet – The Wine Game
The perfect pairing for an evening with friends, this beautifully illustrated board game is a competitive journey through the world of wine, taking you one step closer to becoming a master sommelier. Designed for all skill levels, Bouquet offers a variety of challenges, such as visiting a New York wine auction or identifying a wine by the shape of its bottle. With six categories and 900 questions, this game will easily last through several bottles. $50; www.bouquetthewinegame.com

Winerd
Geek out on wine with Winerd, the board game that involves your cellar in the fun. Using at least three bottles of similar wine, test your knowledge of fermented grapes by passing the most blind taste tests and answering the most trivia questions. Winerd is designed for novices and experts alike. Pocket protectors and high-water pants not required. $35; www.winerdgame.com     

OWP asked winery staffers, “What’s your favorite board (or dice) game for a crisp autumn evening at home?”

“Encore! gets everyone singing lines from songs they are embarrassed to even know, especially after a glass or two of Pinot. The board is poorly designed, so all competition is usually thrown out the window in favor of general silliness.” 

   Anna Campbell, Creative Director, Elk Cove Vineyards, Gaston

“My favorite board game is Chess. As geeky as it sounds in my opinion Chess has more nobility than any other board game in history and that makes me keep wanting to get better and better at it each time I play. In the first three opening moves of chess there are over nine million possible positions. Even more staggering is the number of distinct 40-move games in chess is far greater than the number of electrons in the observable universe. The number of electrons is approximately 1079, while the number of unique chess games is 10120.” 

   Tim Thielen, Hospitality Manager, Argyle Winery, Dundee

“Checkers, definitely! I have three sons. Two work at the winery; the other is a Marine. Many fun hours teaching them to play checkers when they were little.  We also keep a set in our tasting room, and I have observed many ages having fun with a good old-fashioned game of checkers... Brings back memories of my little boys who are all grown up.” 

   Rene Brons, Asst. Winemaker/Tasting Room Manager, Schmidt Family Vineyards, Grants Pass

“This is the perfect season for sipping some wines with friends and family or vintage interns and playing games indoors. Bananagrams is the perfect game for all ages and even suits those speaking English as a second language, making it the perfect game for harvest crews with international interns. Not only is it simple to understand, it requires very little space to play, has no board and can easily be brought to dinners or parties.” 

   Luke Mathews, Hospitality Coordinator, Anne Amie Vineyards, Carlton

“We enjoy a good game of Apples to Apples because it can be played by most ages and never fails to spark a healthy dose of laughter and competition.” 

   Jamie & Katherine McCleary, Proprietors, Jaxon Vineyards, Medford  

“My grandmother Marion was an avid card player, and taught her grandchildren dozens of games. A variation of Gin Rummy was a favorite, though, and could get really competitive after a few hands!” 

   Kim Kramer, Winemaker, Kramer Vineyards, Gaston

“Scattergories is a game for all ages. As the night goes on, the game gets more creative and fun!”

   Cindy Grossmann, Owner, Faith, Hope & Charity Vineyards, Terrebone