Wine-Grower

The Wine-Grower is an electro-mechanical pinball machine released by Renov' Automatic - Jolux (trade name J. Martina) of Marcoussis and Paris, France, which operated from 1968 to 1984. Rather than an original design, it is a re-themed conversion of an unidentified 1960s-era Gottlieb machine -- a common practice among smaller European operators reworking existing hardware with new art and theming. Collector research found that artist Jean Amiot, who did considerable work for J. Martina, stated he was not responsible for the Wine-Grower's backglass or playfield art, so the identity of its artist remains unknown.

Built on Gottlieb's underlying electromechanical hardware, the four-player Wine-Grower features two flippers, five pop bumpers, two slingshots, and a single standup target, housed in a drop-down cabinet. The maximum displayed score is 1,999 points per player, and the replay wheel tops out at 26 replays.

Surviving examples have been found coined for "1/2 Fr.," with a German-made coin mechanism accepting French Francs, reflecting the game's use in the border region between France, Germany, and Switzerland. Its rarity and conversion history make it an interesting example of how European operators extended the life of American-made pinball hardware through re-theming.