A Venerable Vintage Quest Guide: Oblivion Remastered

Not all side activities in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered are straightforward and easily achievable. Some of them will have you crisscrossing the entire map looking for a specific item, and, unless you already know where to look, they can take a good chunk of time. One such quest is “A Venerable Vintage.” It can be complicated for players to find all the items regardless of their experience, so keep in mind that this quest can be lengthy to complete. But for some, especially those captivated by the breathtaking landscapes of the dungeons in Cyrodiil, it’s blissfully captivating.

Venerable Vintage Walkthrough in Oblivion Remastered

First, travel to the Wawnet Inn west of the Imperial City. Once you step inside, you will find Nerussa, the innkeeper, who will guide you in a short tangent How are you? (as all good barkeepers do) into the world of Shadowbanish. This particular wine is rare to say the least, but even Nerussa will not argue that its shelves can only be feasted upon at widely scattered locations.

Her instructions aren’t vague, but here’s the secret – Banish wine can be purchased in Forts scattered around the confines of our planet. To be more precise, there are eight of them. Out of all these fortifications, two bottles of Shadowbanish wine can be purchased. However, a total of six surrender outnumber their defenders on the battlefield. Three forts are needed to claim victory. However, if you go the extra mile and bring back more bottles, Nerussa will reward you with even greater loot. So it might just be worth the detour!

Location of Fort Carmala

You find Fort Carmala at the southern direct from the city of Chorrol. It is quite simple to locate the fort but the position of the Shadowbanish Wine can be comparatively challenging to find. Follow the marker on the map and continue following it till you find an iron gate up ahead. However, turn right before approaching the gate to find a cave which will lead you to a single door. Head into the door and finish off the enemies inside to find a wooden chest next to the big coffin at the far end of the room.

Location of Fort Dirich

In the southwestern region, you can discover Fort Dirich, which houses remarkable Shadowbanish wine. Navigate through the door on your left and into the central corridor. Through the double doors, followed by the single ones, you will be welcomed into an exquisite, shrine-like chamber with a coffin dome. Right at the back corner, where the headrest is, you can find a wooden chest containing two bottles of Shadowbanish wine.

Location of Fort Vlastarus

Fort Vlastarus is next on the list, given that it falls East of Skingrad. Shift to the opposite side of the main road and scout for the Fort Dirich marker on the map. Vlastarus is also simpler in terms of exploration. Once you enter the gate, walk straight over to the central hub, where a small iron gate lies. Veer to the right and follow the trails until you are exposed to a room where the burning corpses suffocate the room. After this, funnel into the lower level and deal with the enemies.

Subsequently, follow the pathways which lead to a new room. Standing adjacent to the central pillar, you will notice a wooden chest, and in it, you can acquire two additional bottles of Shadowbanish wine. In and out.

Location of Fort Magia

To the east, beyond the river, lies one of Oblivion Remastered’s more challenging forts. Having three interior levels can make navigation quite challenging. Upon entering, proceed along the yellow course on the first map until reaching a dead-end that’s flooded. You need to go underwater to locate a passage that leads through a large door.

You will access this area from the Memorial section. Note that you have to swim fast, as there are some aggressive marine animals which makes getting air a challenging task. You will emerge into a big pool situated next to the shrine. Once you have emerged, go to the staircase and upon reaching the top, turn right. You will spot yet another pool, which has five caves submerged in water. Out of the caves, the rightmost is the one that leads you there. Continue swimming until you reach the stairs and a door that leads to the Garrison section. Remember to follow the red course if you find yourself losing your sense of direction.

This section is much easier. Capture the blue course on the Garrison, and you will reach the wooden chest containing two Shadowbanish bottles with the added challenge of being guarded by a ghost.

Location of Fort Scinia

You have to head southeast from the city of Cheydinhal to locate Fort Scinia, and this is a massive fort with two levels. It is also quite challenging because this fort features enemies such as Marauders and Skeletons. It’ll be easy to locate the Shadowbanish wine after heading into the fort. You just need to move in a straight path, and once you reach a dead-end, turn left from that point to find a double door leading into the Hall of Legends. Walk straight again to the end of the path until you stumble across a wooden chest in which you’ll find the Shadowbanish bottles.

Location of Fort Aurus

Fort Aurus can be easily defeated, located towards the northeast of Bravil, beyond the river. Head into the fort and follow the path until you reach a hall with a statue, besides the structure, turn right and follow the path. You’ll notice a door and turn left to find a wooden chest at the corner of the room. You’ll receive wine bottles from the chest and search for more loot in the area.

Location of Fort Irony

You can locate Fort Irony towards the southeast direction of Bravil, near the bay. It is relatively easy to raid compared to other forts in this guide. Once you head into the fort, walk till you stumble across a wall with two roads on the left and right. The former should lead you to a double door, and you have to enter the area to find a wooden chest with two Shadowbanish bottles inside.

Location of Fort Grief

Imagining a conjectured line connecting Fort Aurus and Fort Irony gives birth to Fort Grief sitting strategically in the centre, nestled on a little island. Grief may be easily spotted on a map, but the entrance is the tricky area. One is required to progress through an entirely different side quest to gain access through the side locked doors of Fort Grief. Because of its location and locked doors, Grief is best left untouched for Shadowbanish wine hunters unless you’re ready to commit to the cause entirely.

For those focused on collecting every bottle available, start the “Caught in the Hunt” quest. The mission can still be grabbed by the wine even if one doesn’t complete the entire quest, as completing it adds greater chances of victory, with their chances drastically boosted with high lockpicking skills or ample lockpicks on hand.

Advance the quest until you reach Fort Grief. Before the door, you should see a lever on the floor; step on it to open the door. While inside, go straight to the stairs and move up to the top of the fort. There is a platform somewhere across the gap with a chest waiting for the lightning bolt. To reach the chest, you will need a running jump, and I should warn you that the chest has a Very Hard lock. The reward for those willing to go through the trouble is finding the last two bottles of Shadowbanish wine, which makes all of the trouble worth it.