Now that the harvest is over, we want to present you “Vendimiando en Bodegas Loli Casado”, an idea we have developed in the form of a board game.
What is Harvesting at Bodegas Loli Casado?
Harvesting at Bodegas Loli Casado is the first vineyard related board game designed and developed by a Rioja Alavesa family winery.
It is a card game of limited production to 500 copies with which we want to approach in a simple but real way, the multiple factors that accompany the development of the vineyard until the harvest arrives. In it, we are going to find harmful factors such as hail or diseases and other beneficial ones such as fauna that naturally control plagues.
And we wanted to present it in an attractive and understandable way for audiences of all ages, so that it can be played with family, friends or even by the little ones in the house. The cards have fun and colorful designs with which to play quick games and encourage healthy rivalry.
The game consists of 54 cards among which we can find represented 3 varieties of grapes used in the winery: Graciano, Tempranillo and Viura. The players will accumulate these cards with which, at the end of the game, they will be able to elaborate musts of Bodegas Loli Casado: Jaun de Alzate, Polus Graciano, Polus Tempranillo, Polus Viura and Polus Rosado.
But, besides the grapes, we will also find event cards that represent different factors that affect the vineyard. Some of these charts present aspects that can be beneficial for the vine, while others can affect it negatively.
And how does it is played?
When it comes to playing Harvest at Bodegas Loli Casado, we must get into the role of the winegrower and prepare ourselves for the hard work and uncertainty in the vineyard.
Each vineyard is different and, therefore, when preparing the game table, we will place all the cards face down as we like to “plant” a different vineyard in each game.
During our turn, we will raise a card. If it is a letter of grape, we will keep it until the end of the game to elaborate musts. But, if it is an event card, we will apply its effect and then send it to the discard pile. The cards that represent beneficial factors for the grapevine will help us during the game, allowing us to pick up more cards during our turn or making our opponents lose theirs; while, if we pick up a card with a negative factor, we will receive a penalty that can make us lose the next turn or have to discard any of our grape cards.
When there are no cards left to pick up, each player will return to their cellar and combine the grapes they have picked to make must, each with its own value. The player who gets the highest score with the musts he has been able to make will win the game.
These musts will ferment in tanks in the winery and, in time, will be converted into wine. But that is already a story for another day…
May the harvest be with you!
Jesús and Loli