In Wine, Truth

Quest Giver: James Deacon, Valiance Keep Inn [58, 68]

Turn In: Old Man Colburn, Valiance Keep Inn (table near door)

Objective: Salvage a bottle of Kul Tiras Wine from the underwater shipwreck northeast of Valiance Keep.

Quick Facts

• Prerequisite: Lost and Found
• Follow-Up: A Deserter
• Chain Position: Quest 5 of 10 in the Thassarian chain

Shipwreck Location

The wreck lies underwater at approximately [61, 65], northeast of Valiance Keep near the shoreline.

Navigation without coordinates: Take a left out of the inn, head north down the ramp near where the Stormwind boat lands, swim northeast, and dive. The shipwreck is visible on the ocean floor near the shoreline. You can’t miss it.

How to Complete

Dive to the shipwreck and look for the Wine Crate inside the hull, resting on the seabed. Loot the Kul Tiras Wine and return to the inn. Old Man Colburn sits at a table just inside the door.

Tips

• Sharks patrol the area. Level 71 Great Reef Sharks can be aggressive. Approach from the west to minimize encounters.
• Crate may need to respawn if another player just looted it — wait a minute if you don’t see it.
• Combo opportunity: If you have The Nefarious Clam Master from the D.E.H.T.A. chain, Clam Master K walks along the ground near the wreck. You can complete both quests in one trip, but be aware that he may aggro while you’re fighting sharks.

Lore Context

• James Deacon explains the situation: “The military was all that old man Colburn had. After he retired, he still clung to it like a lifeline. He knows the name of every general, unit, brigade, detachment… you name it. He’s the man you need.”
• The problem? “His mind is scarred. He won’t talk to anyone unless he gets his Kul Tiras wine. Takes him back to the times he was a marine.”
• The wine triggers Old Man Colburn’s memories of his service days: “Mmmmm… not too bitter… not too dry… it’s just like the old days, with the lads at the barracks.”

Easter Egg: In Vino Veritas

The quest name references the Latin phrase “In vino veritas” (“In wine, there is truth”), attributed to Pliny the Elder. The phrase captures the quest’s purpose perfectly, wine unlocks the truth Colburn holds about Unit S.

Cross-Expansion: Kul Tiras Foreshadowing

This quest is one of the earliest references to Kul Tiras in WoW — a maritime kingdom that had largely vanished from the game’s narrative since Warcraft III. The mention of a “merchant ship out of Kul Tiras” hints at the island nation’s continued existence and trade routes, foreshadowing its eventual spotlight in Battle for Azeroth (2018) as a major expansion setting, with Jaina Proudmoore’s homeland as its central setting.

Explore Borean Tundra’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Borean Tundra Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.