You’re sweating. Your pulse is thumping in your ears because the King of Puppets just wiped the floor with you for the tenth time. You look at your inventory, desperate for an edge. Then you see it: a bottle. Most players just see "Wine" in Lies of P and assume it’s flavor text or a minor collectible. They're wrong. Honestly, the way Neowiz integrated alcohol into this Belle Époque nightmare is kinda brilliant, and if you aren't paying attention to the Old Wine or the various spirits scattered around Krat, you’re missing out on some of the best world-building in the soulslike genre.
It isn't just about getting a buff. It's about humanity. In a city where everyone is turning into clockwork monsters or melting into blue carcasses, holding onto a vintage bottle of fermented grapes is a weirdly poetic act of defiance.
Tracking Down the Wine in Lies of P
Finding the good stuff isn't always easy. Most people get hung up on the "Old Wine" quest line because the game doesn't exactly hold your hand. You’ve got to get to the Lorenzini Arcade. It’s a creepy, abandoned shopping mall vibe, filled with those horrifyingly fast decaying enemies. Deep in the basement, past the acidic fog that’ll eat through your health bar in seconds, you’ll find the La Bleck 1961—the specific wine Lies of P players need for the "Old Lady at the Window" quest.
Why 1961? It’s a nod to real-world viticulture history, even if the game's timeline is its own weird alternate reality. 1961 was a legendary year for Bordeaux. This kind of attention to detail is what separates a generic RPG from a masterpiece. You take that bottle back to the window in Rosa Isabelle Street. You hear the voice of a woman who is clearly losing her mind or her body—likely both. Giving her the wine doesn't just net you a reward; it gives her a moment of peace before the end.
The Venigni Commemorative Wine and Secrets
Then there's the Venigni Commemorative Wine. It sounds fancy, right? Lorenzini Venigni is basically the Tony Stark of Krat, and everything he touches is gold, or at least high-end brass. But this item isn't just for looking at. You’ll find it in the Lorenzini Arcade too. If you’re rushing through the game trying to hit the "Rise of P" ending, you might skip these rooms entirely. Don't.
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Exploring the wine cellars isn't just a fetch quest. It’s about the environmental storytelling. You see the broken bottles, the spilled red liquid that looks suspiciously like blood, and the fact that the puppets—beings without taste buds—have smashed everything to bits. It highlights the resentment. The puppets were built to serve the elite who sipped this wine, and now, they’ve literally trashed the cellar.
The wine in Lies of P also serves a mechanical purpose. Sometimes it's a quest item, other times it’s a gesture trigger. If you want that "Toast" gesture—which is essential for certain riddles from Arlecchino, the King of Riddles—you better be prepared to engage with the drinking culture of the city.
Breaking Down the Quest Rewards
- The Venigni Collection: Finding the right bottles often leads to expanding Pulcinella’s shop inventory. This gives you access to better grindstones and upgrade materials.
- Humanity Points: This is the big one. Giving the Old Wine to the lady at the window earns you humanity. In a game called Lies of P, your goal is to become a real boy. You don't get there by just killing bosses. You get there by showing empathy. Giving a dying woman a drink is one of the most "human" things you can do.
- Record Discs: Some interactions involving wine or spirits eventually lead to getting new vinyl records. Listening to these back at Hotel Krat is the primary way to increase your humanity "warmth."
Why the Wine Matters for the Lore
Basically, Krat was a city of hedonism. Before the Puppet Frenzy and the Petrification Disease, people were living it up. The wine symbolizes that era of excess. When you find a bottle of "Wine" in Lies of P now, it’s a relic of a dead world. It’s heavy. It’s dusty.
Think about the NPCs. Take the Red Fox and the Black Cat. They are cynical, tired, and constantly looking for a payout. Or look at Antonia, the owner of the hotel. She’s surrounded by luxury but is rotting away from the inside. The contrast between the high-end lifestyle represented by the wine and the grim reality of the streets is what makes the atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a saw-cleaver.
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I’ve seen some players complain that the quest items take up too much space or that the rewards aren't "powerful" enough. They're looking at it the wrong way. If you’re playing Lies of P, you’re playing for the vibes and the story. The wine is a bridge. It connects the puppet protagonist to the people he’s trying to save—or replace.
Managing Your Inventory and Finding the Arcade Cellar
If you're stuck looking for the cellar, here’s the deal. After you beat the Eldest of the Black Rabbit Brotherhood (a total pain of a fight, honestly), you eventually make your way toward the Grand Exhibition. But before that, you hit the Arcade.
Look for the fountain. There’s a gate that requires a key you get from just exploring the main path of the Arcade. Once you’re in the basement, watch out for the bloated, exploding enemies. They love to hide behind wine racks. It’s a classic soulslike ambush. You’ll see a glowing item on the floor near some spilled barrels. That’s your prize.
Keep in mind:
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- The wine is a "Coded" item sometimes, meaning you need to read the description to know who wants it.
- You can't drink it yourself. Sorry. No drunken master combat style here.
- If you progress too far—specifically past the point of no return near the end of the game—some of these window NPCs might not be there anymore. Do your deliveries early.
The Connection to Pinocchio's Original Story
In Carlo Collodi's original book, Pinocchio is a much darker tale than the Disney version. There’s a lot of focus on the temptations of the flesh—eating, drinking, and being lazy. In Lies of P, the wine represents a refined version of that temptation. But instead of it being a "sin," the game flips the script. In a world of cold metal, the desire for a drink is a sign of life.
It's a clever subversion. Usually, in games, alcohol is a debuff or a joke. Here, it’s a holy grail for a dying population. It makes you think about what you'd want if the world was ending. A nice glass of red probably beats a gear cog any day of the week.
Practical Steps for Your Playthrough
If you want to make the most of the wine-related content, follow these steps immediately. First, make sure you've talked to every window NPC in Rosa Isabelle Street before fighting Romeo. Second, once you hit the Lorenzini Arcade, don't just run for the boss. Systematically clear the basement. Use a strike weapon if you have one; the enemies there are weak to physical blunt damage.
Once you have the La Bleck 1961, go straight back to the window. Don't hold onto it. The humanity points you gain are retroactive, but getting them early helps you hit the thresholds needed for the Golden Lie weapon later on. That weapon is tied directly to how "human" you are, and skipping the wine quest is a surefire way to miss out on one of the best sticks in the game.
Check your "Collectibles" tab in the bag. Read the labels on the bottles. The developers put actual effort into the graphic design of these items. It’s not just a generic bottle icon; it’s a piece of art that fits the 19th-century aesthetic perfectly. This is the kind of stuff that makes the world feel lived-in, even when everything in it is trying to kill you.
Go back to the Arcade. Find the cellar. Deliver the bottle. It’s a small gesture in a big, violent game, but it’s the small things that actually turn the puppet into a man. That’s the real secret behind the wine in Lies of P. It isn't just loot; it’s a soul.