You’re crouched in a bush. It’s raining on Ground Zero, that grey, oppressive drizzle that makes every footstep sound like a thunderclap. You’ve got the wine bottle in your bag. Now, you just have to get out. This is the reality of Friend from Norvinsk Part 1, the quest that has become the de facto "welcome to Tarkov" moment for both new players and grizzled veterans returning for a fresh wipe.
Escape from Tarkov isn’t a game that respects your time. It’s a game that demands your sanity. When Battlestate Games (BSG) introduced the Ground Zero map and reworked the early-game progression, they funneled everyone through this specific bottleneck. It's not just a fetch quest. It is a trial by fire.
What Actually Happens in Friend from Norvinsk Part 1
The premise is deceptively simple. Skier, the shadiest trader in the Tarkov universe, wants you to head to the Empire building on Ground Zero. He’s looking for a specific bottle of wine—the "Dan-Mori" variety. You find the bottle, you stuff it in your bag, and you extract. Easy, right?
Wrong.
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Because everyone else in the lobby is doing the exact same thing. Ground Zero is divided into two matchmaking pools: players level 1–20 and everyone else (21+). If you're a low-level player, you’re trapped in a small, dense urban environment with 10 to 12 other PMCs who are all converging on the same office building. The Empire building isn't just a quest location; it’s a meat grinder.
The wine bottle itself spawns in a small wine cellar/liquor store area on the ground floor. It’s tucked behind a counter, often hidden among dozens of other, useless bottles. You have to find the specific interactable one. This isn't like later quests where you can just grab a document and have it stay in a special quest inventory. No, this is a physical item. If you die, the bottle is gone. You go back to the menu, heal up, and try again.
The Pathing Nightmare
Most people approach the Empire building from the main street. Big mistake. Huge.
The street is a sniper’s paradise. There are landmines near the outskirts of the map and Scavs patrolling the middle. To survive Friend from Norvinsk Part 1, you have to understand the layout of the underground parking and the side entrances.
I’ve seen dozens of players sprint straight for the front doors only to be mowed down by someone sitting in the dark corners of the second floor. Tarkov players are notoriously patient. They will sit in a dark room for twenty minutes just to catch you grabbing that bottle.
The wine shop has large glass windows. Breaking them makes a sound that can be heard from the other side of the map. If you’re trying to be stealthy, you basically have to crawl. It’s tense. Your palms get sweaty. One wrong move and a Scav with a Toz-106 ruins your entire afternoon.
The Gear Dilemma
What do you bring? If you go in "naked" (just a pistol and a prayer), you'll likely die to the first AI Scav you see. If you bring your best armor and a kitted M4, you become a high-value target for the "Chads" who are farming the level 1–20 bracket for dogtags.
- Paca Armor: It’s cheap. It stops buckshot. It won't save you from a headshot.
- SKS or Mosin: The great equalizers. One well-placed shot can drop a geared player.
- A decent backpack: You need room for the bottle, obviously.
Honestly, the best strategy is often the "night raid." Visibility is low, and while some players might have cheap night vision goggles, most in the level 1–20 bracket don't. You can slip in, grab the Dan-Mori, and slip out through the basement like a ghost.
Why This Quest Matters for the Lore
Skier isn't just some guy who likes wine. Well, he might be, but in the context of Friend from Norvinsk Part 1, he’s testing your utility. The Norvinsk region is a failed Special Economic Zone. It's a mess of corporate espionage and paramilitary skirmishes.
By sending you into the heart of the "Zone," Skier is gauging whether you’re worth his time. The wine is a luxury item in a world where clean water is a commodity. It’s a power move. He makes you risk your life for a fermented grape drink just to show he can.
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This quest leads directly into the broader "Friend from Norvinsk" chain, which eventually forces you to deal with the other traders like Peacekeeper. It’s the starting thread of a web that covers the entire political landscape of Tarkov. If you can’t handle a simple wine run on Ground Zero, you have no chance when the quests start sending you to Shoreline or Lighthouse.
Common Fail Points and How to Avoid Them
The biggest reason people fail this quest? Greed.
You find the wine. You’re feeling good. You see a dead body in the middle of the hallway with a shiny backpack. You think, "Just one quick loot." That’s when the bullet hits you.
In Friend from Norvinsk Part 1, your priority is the extract. Forget the loot. Forget the extra XP from killing Scavs. Grab the bottle and move toward the nearest extraction point. On Ground Zero, that’s usually the "Emercom Checkpoint" or the "Nakatani Stairs."
Also, watch out for the claymores. BSG added several "trap" areas on this map. If you see a sign with a skull and crossbones, or just a bunch of dead bodies in an alleyway that looks too quiet, turn around. It’s not worth the shortcut.
Realism vs. Gameplay
Tarkov is often praised for its realism, but let's be real: carrying a glass bottle of wine through a literal warzone while jumping off balconies and taking painkillers wouldn't end well for the bottle. In the game, the bottle is indestructible once it's in your pack. Use that to your advantage.
The nuance of the quest lies in the "found in raid" status. If you find the bottle but die, and somehow your teammate brings it out for you, it doesn't count. You have to be the one to survive and escape. This creates a unique pressure. You aren't just playing for yourself; you're playing against the clock and the map's inherent lethality.
The Expert Strategy
If you're struggling, wait. Seriously.
Load into the raid and find a safe spot to hide for the first 15 to 20 minutes. Most of the "PVP-hungry" players will have either extracted or died by then. The map becomes much quieter. The player Scavs will start to spawn, but they are generally less of a threat than a fully armed PMC.
By the time the raid timer is at 10 minutes, the Empire building is usually a ghost town. You can walk in, grab the wine, and head to an extract that is likely uncamped. It’s a boring way to play, but it’s the most effective way to progress the questline.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Raid
To finally get past this roadblock, follow these specific tactical movements:
- Check your spawn: If you spawn near the Terragroup building, don't rush Empire immediately. You'll run into the "middle-map" crossfire.
- Use the underground: The tunnels connect several key areas. They provide cover from the snipers on the balconies.
- Identify the Dan-Mori bottle: It has a distinct label. Don't waste time clicking on every piece of trash in the liquor store. Look for the "interact" prompt specifically on the shelves behind the counter.
- Know your extracts: Double-tap 'O' the moment you spawn. If you have the "Mira Avenue" extract, make sure you have a flare. If you don't have a flare, do NOT go there, or the sniper will kill you instantly.
- Turn in immediately: Once you're back in the stash, go to Skier and click "Turn In." Don't leave it in your inventory. If you forget and go into another raid with it, you're just asking for trouble.
This quest is a hurdle, but once it’s done, the rest of the Ground Zero quests feel significantly more manageable. You’ll have earned your stripes in Norvinsk. Now, get back in there and find that wine.