Quick Links

  • Returning To The Duchess
  • Investigating The Vineyard
  • Setting The Ambush

After discovering The Witcher 3's Beast of Beauclair's unfortunate motivations and identity, Geralt has something to present to the Duchess. While the information isn't much to go on, the letters stolen from Dettlaff's dwelling provide a vital clue; a wine stain.

Related: The Witcher 3: A Portrait Of The Witcher As An Old Man Side Quest Walkthrough

While it's little more than a detail to Geralt, the Duchess can glean far more from the stain than even the witcher. With the help of her sommelier, the group learns that the wine belongs to a specific vintage exclusively consumed by the ducal household. That's all they need to seek out their next lead, the vineyard responsible for the vintage's production.

Returning To The Duchess

With Where Children Toil, Toys Waste Away complete, Geralt will have to report to the Duchess with everything he's learned about the beast. She's overlooking the city from the palace, accompanied by Damien de la Tour.

While Geralt's employers are disappointed with his inability to kill the Beast, they capitalize on his findings, discovering that the blackmailer had somehow consumed Sangreal, a vintage exclusively consumed by the Duchess and her family. She decides to pursue the lead in person, giving you the choice of leaving immediately or at a time of your choosing.

You will have to save some traders from a pair of panthers along the way. The beasts are difficult, but not impossible to kill.

You can flee from the panthers if you so choose. Be prepared for the Duchess and Damien will be all too prepared to admonish Geralt for the act as a consequence.

Investigating The Vineyard

At the vineyard, you meet Fabricio, the man responsible for its operation. His initial rudeness towards Geralt is quickly quashed by the Duchess putting him in his place and demanding the key to the Sangreal cellar. She will bring Geralt inside to search for the relevant barrels.

You are looking for the barrel of Sangreal from 1269. It's tougher than it sounds thanks to the abundance of wine in all its varieties in the cellar. The 1269 Sangreal is on the second floor, at the south end. The Duchess tries to detect tampering by knocking on each barrel, though that will not yield any results.

Close

Resorting to inspecting each barrel personally, she asks Geralt to get a mallet and barrel tap. Both can be found on the lower floor of the cellar. The former is on a barrel on the north side while the latter is in a crate on the south side.

The method works, with one of the barrels being filled with filth instead of wine. Incensed, the Duchess demands answers from Fabricio. He spills the beans, explaining that he had sold the barrels to a Cintrian man in exchange for a fortune. A second barrel is ready for delivery.

Setting The Ambush

Geralt decides to ambush the buyer to get answers. Once again, you can choose if you will go there immediately or later. The bandits buying the wine realize that something is off as soon as they spot Geralt. Damien intervenes, springing the ambush.

This is a large, chaotic battle with Geralt fighting alongside Ducal Guardsmen and against a well-trained group of bandits. You'll have to kill all the bandits to win.

It's easy to get lost in the melee and overwhelmed. You can even the odds by detonating a pile of barrels on the right immediately after the fight starts.

The gang leader, Hornitz, is more skilled than his lackeys and will put up a fight. It's best to leave him for last, to both avoid his men taking potshots at Geralt and to let the guardsmen weaken him first.

With the battle won, the group takes a prisoner to interrogate. Your dialogue choices here lead to the same result; all the man knows is that the man orchestrating the operation is the Cintrian. The Duchess will ask Geralt to meet her at the Ducal Guard Post to plan their next move and to wait for Damien to complete an investigation of his own. You can follow her immediately or find your own way there.

If you are strapped for cash, make your own way to the guard post. The slain bandits have valuable weapons itching to be sold, and the wagon holds a chest full of gold.

Geralt and the Duchess have to wait for Damien to return, with the captain learning that the conspiracy goes far deeper than any of them expected. Fortunately, his investigation hints that the Cintrian will be at an artists' party. The Duchess orders Geralt to join her there, where they will try to discover the Cintrian's identity. The quest ends here, with the quest, The Man from Cintra, next.

Next: The Witcher 3: Complete Guide And Walkthrough