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Where great play meets great pours
Print Wine101
There’s something about cold winter nights that calls for close friends, a few great bottles, and a little friendly competition. The best part? You don’t need elaborate strategy games or hours of setup. These three crowd-pleasers are easy to jump into; just pour a glass, gather round, and let the games begin.
• Choose your game(s) and gather supplies (dice, cards, corks, paper)
• Stock your Rombauer favorites — 6+ bottles ship for a penny! Browse our wines today.
• Prep your snacks and chill wines ahead of time
• Keep it simple, casual, and cozy
• Cue up a playlist and let the games begin (Check out our favorites here)
What you’ll need: A backgammon board, checkers, dice, and a basic understanding of the rules (or a quick tutorial video queued up)
How to play: Two players face off in this classic strategy game, racing to move all their checkers around and off the board first. Roll the dice to determine how many spaces you can move, but watch out—landing on a single opponent checker sends it back to start. The first player to bear off all their pieces wins the round.
For groups of 6 or more: Set up a mini tournament with multiple boards, or rotate players in and out so everyone gets a turn. Winners can advance to face each other in championship rounds while others spectate, sip, and cheer.
New to backgammon? The rules are easier than they look! Check out a 5-minute tutorial online, or have an experienced player teach newcomers during the first game. Once you get the hang of it, backgammon becomes delightfully strategic and social.
What you’ll need: Two standard decks of cards and wine corks (one fewer than the number of players)
How to play: Place the corks in the center of the table within everyone’s reach. Deal four cards to each player. The goal is to collect four of a kind. The dealer draws from the deck, keeps or discards a card to the player on their left, and play continues around the table — everyone simultaneously and quickly passing unwanted cards. When someone gets four of a kind, they grab a cork. Once one person grabs, everyone else scrambles for the remaining corks. The player left without one is out. Remove a cork and play again until one champion remains.
For groups of 6 or more: The more players, the more chaotic — and that’s the point. Keep corks clustered in the center of the table so grabs are competitive.
What you’ll need:
Five dice+one cup per player
How to play:
Everyone rolls their dice and keeps them hidden under their cup. One player starts by guessing how many dice of a certain number are showing across the whole table (for example, “There are six 3s”).
Play moves around the table. Each player must either:
When someone calls “liar,” all dice are revealed.
Lose all your dice, and you’re out. Last player with dice wins.
For groups of 6 or more: This one only gets better with a crowd. Bigger tables mean bigger guesses, bolder bluffs, and louder laughs. Keep the pace quick and don’t overthink it.
