Here are the show notes for the episode Bosworth and Freakshow Chardonnay from Meeples & Wine—your podcast of board game reviews for couples, with a drink in hand!

Hosts: Michael & Suzy

Wine We’re Tasting Today:
Freakshow Chardonnay 2024 by Michael David Winery

• Location: Lodi Appellation
• Profile: Golden straw color with aromas of apricot, citrus, and herbaceous notes. Flavors of Asian pear, honeydew, and juicy peach pie, finished with a lasting oak-inspired touch.
• Details: 50% aged in new French oak for 4 months, 50% stainless steel (no oak), 99% malolactic fermentation (softens that tart malic acid into smoother lactic acid).
• Pairings ideas: Buttery dishes, rich cream pastas, broiled fish with butter, steak with garlic butter, buttered rolls.
• Winery site: https://michaeldavidwinery.com/

Game We’re Playing:
Bosworth (1998)
A chaotic 2-4 player chess variant where pieces are cards drawn randomly from your personal pile. Same classic chess pieces (pawns, knights, rooks, bishops, queen, king), but with twists: pawns move/capture sideways too, kings can capture their own pieces to escape check, and it’s all about multiplayer mayhem on a 6×6 board with blocked corners and face-down covers. Goal? Checkmate everyone else’s kings—last king standing wins!

• BGG page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/645/bosworth
• Designer: Mark Alan Osterhaus (also Apples to Apples, Shipwrecked)
• Artist: John Kovalic (Munchkin, Cash ‘n Guns, etc.)
• Publisher: Out of the Box Publishing (defunct since 2015)
• Rating: 5.8/10 | Weight: 2.1/5 | Players: 2-4

Historical nod: Named after the Battle of Bosworth Field — https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Bosworth-Field

How It Plays with Two Players & Our Takes

• Super fun with two—keeps the random draws and tension without too much ganging up.
• Fun Score (1-10): Michael: 8 | Suzy: 7
• Couch Score (will it wreck the relationship? 1-5): Michael: 3 | Suzy: 2 (mild trash talk potential, but mostly laughs)
• Time Sink to Learn Rules (1-5): 1 — Pick it up in one or two games, no heavy YouTube needed.

Expansions? None.

Final Sip
How’s the Freakshow Chardonnay evolved since opening? (We chat about it in the episode!)

Last Call – Kickstarter/Gamefound Spotlight
Boktor: A Cooperative Dungeon Quest by Fox Troll Games
Fast-paced dungeon crawler for 1-6 players—explore modular dungeons, evolve your heroes, battle Tyrants, and stop the Vortex. Quick setup, intuitive rules, real strategy, all in ~60 minutes.
Check it out: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/fox-troll-games/boktor-a-cooperative-dungeon-quest

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• Email: meeplesandwine@gmail.com
• Voicemail: (707) 572-5282
• Or leave a message via Speakpipe (link in episode)

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See you next time on Meeples & Wine! Buh-bye! 🍷🎲

Welcome to Meeples & Wine, the podcast of board game reviews for couples, with a drink in hand! I’m Michael and I’m joined by Suzy. Today we are balancing our pallets and our game boards with a “harmonious” pairing.

We aren’t overthinking it today! Our pick is the Bread & Butter California Red Blend, a classic everyday red that’s all about relaxed vibes.

• The Vibe: An affordable crowd-pleaser, usually found for $14–$17 per bottle.
• Style: A plush, velvety, medium-to-full-bodied blend often heavy on Cab and Petite Sirah.
• Tasting Notes: We’re getting juicy black plum, dark cherry, and blackberry with smooth layers of chocolate, vanilla, and caramel.
• Stats: It holds a steady 3.9/5 on Vivino as of 2026.
• Pairing Tip: Perfect for burgers, pizza, or a cozy movie night.
• Check it out here: Bread & Butter Wines

This week we’re hitting the fields with Beer & Bread, a multi-use card game designed for exactly two players.

You represent rival villages sharing a monastery’s fruitful lands. Over six years (alternating between “fruitful” and “dry”), you’ll harvest resources, brew beer, bake bread, and upgrade your facilities.

Balance is key! At the end of the sixth year, you only score the coins from the category (beer or bread) where you earned the least. If you go all-in on beer and ignore your bread, you’re going to have a bad time.

• Designer: Scott Almes (The Tiny Epic guy!)
• Artist: Michael Menzel (Catan, Dominion)
• Publisher: Deep Print Games
• Complexity: 2.36/5 on BGG
• Links: BGG Game Page | Our Tiny Epic Dungeons Episode

• Michael’s Fun Score: 8/10 22
• Suzy’s Fun Score: 9.5/10 23
• Couch Score: 2/5 (Won’t wreck your relationship!)

• Kickstarter Spotlight: We’re keeping an eye on Grassfed: A Farm to Tabletop Game from the Ascension team. Check it out on Gamefound.
• MGC 2026: We will be at the Midwest Gaming Classic again this year (April 25–27)!

What everyday reds are you reaching for this winter? We’d love to hear from you! 27

• Email: meeplesandwine@gmail.com
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• Voicemail: (707) 572-5282

See you next time on Meeples and Wine! Buh-Bye!