Real talk: Holidays are about family, friends and being together. And for us, holidays are also about BOARD GAMES. This is a guide that pairs some of our wines with popular games that might make an appearance at upcoming festivities. Don’t let this holiday season involve political debates and telling your grandma for the umpteenth time that you aren’t sure when grandchildren are happening. Break out that board game and bust open a bottle - let’s play!
Apples to Apples
The object of the game is to win the most rounds by playing a “red apple” card (which generally features a noun) from one’s hand to best “match” that round’s communal “green apple” card (which contains an adjective) as chosen by that round’s judging player. The game is designed for four to ten players and played for 30–75 minutes. Or for Melissa’s in-laws, two hours.
Bulles d’O Sparkling Brut | Languedoc, France - A crisp, French bubbly (90% Mauzac, 10% Chardonnay) filled with green apples and honey. Need we say more? $21.99
Clue
The object of the game is to determine who murdered the game’s victim (“Mr. Boddy”), where the crime took place, and which weapon was used. Each player assumes the role of one of the six suspects, and attempts to deduce the correct answer by strategically moving around a game board representing the rooms of a mansion and collecting clues about the circumstances of the murder from the other players.
Emilio Hidalgo Gobernador Oloroso Sherry | Jerez, Spain – Dry and smooth with notes of tea, smoke and walnuts. Dark, complex and mysterious, this is the perfect drink for the perfect sleuth. $27.99
Life
The game simulates a person’s travels through his or her life, from college to retirement, with jobs, marriage, and possible children along the way. Two to six players can participate in one game.
Reguiero Alvarinho | Vinho Verde, Portugal - Zesty and racy with aromas of white peach and green apple. Lemon and minerality on the palate. This wine will age well, hopefully just like your car full of twins. $20.99
Monopoly
Players move around the game board buying or trading properties, developing their properties with houses and hotels, and collecting rent from their opponents, with the goal being to drive them all into bankruptcy leaving one monopolist in control of the entire economy.
Besserat de Bellefon Cuvée des Moines Brut Champagne | France - With notes of money, greed and decadence, this champagne is sure to impress your friends while you steal Rainbow Railroad out from under them. But really it’s bright and floral with sweet spices and a subtle, yeasty edge. The palate has crunchy lemon citrus fruit, and its acidity is assertive, like your quest for power. $54.99
Scrabble
A word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a gameboard which is divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words, which in crossword fashion flow left to right in rows or downwards in columns.
Practical Matter Pinot Noir | Santa Barbara County, CA - A limited-production Pinot that is super smooth and full-bodied. It’s a practical choice. And worth double points. $18.99
Risk
A turn-based game played on a board depicting a political map of the Earth, divided into territories. The object of the game is to occupy every territory on the board and in doing so, eliminate the other players. Players control armies with which they attempt to capture territories from other players.
Domaine Benjamin Taillandier Laguzelle | Minervois, France - Lighter than the typical wines of Minervois. A gluggable, chill-able red comprised of Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan. Grapes are grown on schist, clay, limestone, sand and marne. Multiple grapes, multiple terrains…it’s like a bunch of Earth’s territories in one glass. $20.99
Settlers of Catan
Players assume the roles of settlers, each attempting to build and develop holdings while trading and acquiring resources. Players are rewarded points as their settlements grow; the first to reach a set number of points, typically 10, is the winner.
Tellu’s Tawny Port | Portugal – Ruby-colored with amber at the edges. Wonderful fruity notes with caramel and nutty qualities starting to emerge. Settling a new world? You need the help of a wine that will stand the test of time. $15.99
Uno
A card game with a specially printed deck. In the same family as crazy eights, the object of this game is to get rid of all your cards. When a player has their last card in hand, they yell “Uno!”
Whiplash Red | California - A rambunctious game deserves a similarly rambunctious wine. Dark, ripe berry fruit on the nose. Full of black currants, smoke, cherries and blackberries. Bold and appropriately-named for the game. Try not to get whiplash as the person next to you yells “UNO!” $11.99
Cards Against Humanity
*WARNING ADULTS ONLY* A party game in which players complete fill-in-the-blank statements using mature content phrases printed on playing cards. Gameplay operates similarly to Apples to Apples, just dirtier or darker…or not. That’s up to you.
Mestizaje Bobal | Spain – A dirty, dark grape: Bobal. Notes of dark plum, dried violet and blueberry with hints of pepper. Chewy earth and a smoky finish. A salacious wine for a salacious game. $15.99
Yahtzee
A dice game where players score points by rolling five dice to make certain combinations. A Yahtzee is five-of-a-kind; the highest of any category. The winner is the player who scores the most points.
Paringa Sparkling Shiraz | Australia - Aromas of black currants, dark strawberry, blackberry and spice. Lively, refreshing, with sweet berry fruits, rich plums and cassis. Hints of chocolate, molasses, caraway seed and fennel. A winning combination. Paringa!…er…Yahtzee! $16.99
Taboo
A timed guessing game where the objective of the game is for a player to have their partners guess the word on the player’s card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card.
Rezzadore Tai Rosso | Veneto, Italy - A funky game deserves a funky wine. And since we’re playing a word game here…Tai Rosso, Barbarano, Cannonau, Grenache….all different names for the grape used in this bottle! Super light, fruity and refreshing. Kind of a Beaujolais Nouveau wannabe. $20.99
Dungeons and Dragons
Embrace your inner nerd. This is the game that started role-playing, storytelling games. An elected “Dungeon Master” leads you and your friends through war-game scenarios where a 20-sided dice rules your fate.
Wild Blossom Prairie Passion Mead | Chicago, IL – This game just begs for a glass of mead. Mead is possibly the oldest alcoholic beverage around and is made by fermenting honey. Sweet, rich and full of flavor, it’s the perfect storytelling companion. $18.99
Don’t see your favorite game on our list? Ask our game-masters Ella and Rob for their game + wine recommendations! And however you spend your holiday, we hope it’s safe, full of love, and enjoyed with your favorite people. And wine.
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