Wine is Sacred turns the hunt for the Beast into a hunt for whoever is pulling his strings. A wine stain on a letter from Dettlaff’s hideout points to an exclusive ducal vintage, and Duchess Anna Henrietta insists on investigating in person.
How to start Wine is Sacred
It follows Where Children Toil, Toys Waste Away. Report to the duchess at Beauclair Palace, with Damien de la Tour present. The suggested level is 42 and the quest gives about 2,550 XP.
The 1269 Sangreal
The duchess agrees to try to free the woman being held hostage. The ducal sommelier identifies the stain as Sangreal from 1269, a wine made only for the ducal family at Castel Ravello. Geralt and Damien escort the duchess there. On the way, panthers attack a wagon, and you can step in.
The owner, Fabricio, is a bit of a snob, and the duchess soon loses patience and checks the cellar herself. The ledger looks fine, so the barrels have to be tested. All of them sound full, but tap a couple for the duchess and she tastes one that is clearly not Sangreal. Fabricio admits he has sold wine to a Cintrian aristocrat and has another barrel waiting for him.
The ambush at Fort Astre
Geralt and Damien set an ambush for the buyer’s men at the Fort Astre ruins, and with the ducal guard at your side a big fight breaks out. The survivor only knows the buyer as “the Cintrian”. After a meeting at a ducal guard post, the plan is made: Geralt and the duchess will sneak into the next Mandragora party to find him. That’s The Man from Cintra.
Tips
- Saving the peasants from the panthers gives 450 XP. If you ride off, you just meet the duchess and Damien at the vineyard and they scold you.
- The right barrels are upstairs, at the far end from the stairs. Grab a wooden hammer and a barrel tap from downstairs.
- At Fort Astre, watch out for exploding barrels.
- If you choose to meet the duchess later, you have time to loot the thugs and take 500 florens from the cart.
- Each stage after the palace jumps ahead to 9 PM, so a couple of days pass during the quest.
