IGN LogoIGN Logo
Skip to content

The Witcher 3 Guide

Start tracking progress
 or 
Blood and Wine Side Quests
A Knight's Tales
A Portrait of the Witcher as an Old Man
Big Feet to Fill
Contract: Big Game Hunter
Contract: Bovine Blues
Contract: Equine Phantoms
Contract: Feet as Cold as Ice
Contract: The Tufo Monster
Duck, Duck, Goosed!
Father Knows Worst
Feet As Cold As Ice
Fists of Fury: Toussaint
Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Granite!
Gwent: Never Fear, Skellige's Here
Gwent: To Everything - Turn, Turn, Tournament!
Knight For Hire
Master Master Master Master!
Mutual of Beauclair's Wild Kingdom
No Place Like Home
Paperchase
Of Sheers and a Witcher I Sing
Raging Wolf
Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Feline Gear
Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Griffin Gear
Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Manticore Gear
Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Ursine Gear
Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Wolven Gear
The Hunger Game
The Warble of a Smitten Knight
The Words of the Prophet Are Written on Sarcophagi
There Can Be Only One
Till Death Do You Part
Treasure Hunt: Applied Escapology
Treasure Hunt: Around the World In... Eight Days
Treasure Hunt: But Other Than That, How Did You Enjoy the Play
Treasure Hunt: Coin Doesn't Stink
Treasure Hunt: Don't Take Candy from a Stranger
Treasure Hunt: Filibert Always Pays His Debts
Treasure Hunt: Spoontaneous Profits!
Treasure Hunt: The Black Widow
Treasure Hunt: The Curse of Carnarvon
Treasure Hunt: The Inconstant Gardener
Treasure Hunt: The Last Exploits of Selina's Gang
Treasure Hunt: The Suffering of Young Francios
Treasure Hunt: The Toussaint Prison Experiment
Treasure Hunt: Wating for Goe and Doh
Treasure Hunt: What Was This About Again?
Vitner's Contract: Chuchote Cave
Vitner's Contract: Cleaning Those Hard-To-Reach Places
Vitner's Contract: Dun Tynne Hillside
Vitner's Contract: Griffin-in-the-Vines
Vitner's Contract: Rivecalme Storehouse
Wine Wars: Belgaard (L37)
Wine Wars: Coronata
Wine Wars: Vermentino
Wine Wars: The Deus in the Machina
Wine Wars: Consorting
Wine Wars: Belgaard (L39)

Interactive Maps

Fablesphere MapIsle of Mists MapKaer Morhen MapRealm of Rumination MapRoyal Palace in Vizima MapSkellige Isles MapTime and Space MapToussaint MapVelen & Novigrad MapWhite Orchard Map
IGN LogoIGN Logo

Task Search

No Results

Checklists

Checklist Creation
How creative can you get with your first free checklist?

All Interactive Maps and Locations

Wine Wars: The Deus in the Machina

By Max Roberts, Jack K., Jon Ryan, +35.8k more
Updated: Jan 9, 2025 10:20pm UTC

Walkthrough

Walkthrough for the side quest Wine Wars: The Deus in the Machina from The Witcher 3's second DLC expansion, Blood and Wine

You can pick up this level 42 quest by completing certain objectives for two other quests:

  1. Wine Wars: Coronata - find "Orders on Elegant Stationery" at the objective marker (Hidden Treasure) northeast of the Coronata vineyard.
  2. Wine Wars: Vermentino - find "Letter on Elegant Stationery" at the objective maker (Hidden Treasure) north of Corvo Blanco. Here you also find the "Heavy brass key" that opens the warehouse.

On reading the second of the two the quest begins. You can visit the Ducal Clerk at Plegmund's Bridge to suggest possible sabotage at both vineyards but there is no reward for doing so.

When you arrive at the objective marker, find the door to a warehouse. It is located downhill from the buildings, similar to how the wine cellar at Corvo Blanco is situated.

There is one archespore to deal with (Cursed oil, Aard and/or Igni). After it is down use witcher senses to search the area.

If either Liam or Matilda already owns Belgaard, or you failed to mention sabotage when turning in the Vermentino/Coronata quests, then you find a corpse containing "Fragment of a Letter". On reading it you find instructions about cleaning the warehouse. No names are mentioned so the opportunity to uncover the identity of the vineyard saboteur is lost. The quest ends and you receive no XP.

Otherwise locate a pair of wooden trays. Loot them for "Stocktaking Report" and some other items. On reading the report you learn that Count Crespi is behind the archespore sabotage.

The quest updates, instructing you to notify Liam and Matilda of your findings. Also examine the archespore bulbs in the nearby wall nooks. Then burn them with Igni to gain 100 XP.

Going back to Plegmund's Bridge and reporting your findings ends these quests, regardless of how many objectives you have completed for the first two:

  • Wine Wars: Coronata
  • Wine Wars: Vermentino
  • Wine Wars: The Deus in the Machina (receive an additional 250 XP)

Up Next: Wine Wars: Consorting

Previous
Wine Wars: Vermentino
Next
Wine Wars: Consorting

Top Guide Sections

  • Beginner's Guide - Witcher 3 Features and Things to Know
  • Things the Witcher 3 Doesn't Tell You
  • Walkthrough
  • Witcher Gear

Was this guide helpful?

In This Guide

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild HuntCD Projekt Red
Initial Release: May 18, 2015
ESRB: Mature
PlayStation 5Xbox Series X/SNintendo SwitchXbox One
+2
News•Reviews•Game Guides•Book Guides•Memorial Day Sales•LEGO Set Reviews•Board Game Reviews•Planet Pokemon•IGN Store•Game Release Dates•MapGenie•Best Deals Today•Eurogamer•IGN YouTube•HowLongToBeat•Maxroll•VG247•Rock Paper Shotgun•IGN TikTok•IGN on X•Contact Us•Privacy Policy•Terms of Use