“In vino veritas” – in wine there is truth (description on the packaging). Winzer is a strategy computer game released in 1991 for the Commodore Amiga, C64 and PC. The Amiga version was programmed by René Straub. In this business simulation, the player takes over the management of a winery. As player, you will find out whether you have what it takes to become a successful vineyard owner. As a businessman, you take over the management of a winery in southern Germany and experience the ups and downs of winemaking.

At the start, you choose a vineyard and focus on the core tasks of the trade: cultivating vines, harvesting grapes, pressing the wine, and selling it on national or international markets. The quality of the wine is determined by factors such as the type of vines, the timing of the harvest, and the fertilization.

In addition to working in the vineyard, you also handle essential business tasks. You hire staff, purchase equipment, register your wines with the authorities, and advertise your products. The game also offers competitive and risky options: you can sabotage your competitors or illegally water down your own wines to gain an advantage. Progress is measured by points. You earn them by registering new wines, producing high-quality sparkling wines, or achieving good results in regional and national competitions. Once you reach 1,000 points, you win the game.

In terms of topic, Winzer (1991) is the most surprising strategy game of that time with Swiss participation. The player gets to know that they inherit a vineyard in Germany with a prospective 4 Mio. DM, if they cultivate more wine and take successfully part in a competition with other winemakers. Winemaking as a business game simulation? Quite a fancy occupation. The cover of the box and the booklet show that it may be the dream of an aspiring millionaire, a successful entrepreneur. The wine is nicely presented as a luxury food item in midst of grape. The vines in the background are plentyful with a plane (suggesting travel) and a woman’s face hovering over them. A mansion on the horizon, a Porsche and a wad of money are awaiting the player and suggest a lavish lifestyle. In the game, however, it’s a long way to get there, and the player has to work through many obstacles.

Winzer’s booklet tries to make you familiar with the wine business and is quite extensive. Story and gameplay options take up 27 of the 32 pages and are addressed to you as a city dweller that accidentally has to become a winemaker. The manual has unusual features: It comes with two additional leaflets that are designed to help players get into the business faster. An index with explanations of the quality and types of wine. And a table with the minimum Oechsle scale values of the individual grape varieties for wines in the individual regions.