As the release post suggested, the game asks if you want to spend coffers before getting your wine merchant back.
It even prompts you twice (you can choose to spend coffers or take your wine merchant back, and if you choose to take the wine merchant back, it will prompt you to spend coffers).
But if you choose to take your wine merchant back, then don't spend the coffers to actually afford it, it gets "lost". It won't give the merchant back (as it should), and it still shows the merchant on your tavern mat, but it won't ask if you want it back for the rest of the game.
game #96055846 on ohio
I'd give you the exact turns, but the game already finished and I can't remake it (it was an automatch and I don't have the right subscription level). But at some point I played copper and 3 silvers to buy a paddock (5 coin) and my wine merchant didn't even ask. A few turns before that was when the merchant got lost.
Thanks for the report, this looks indeed like a bug. I'll further inverstigate and hopefully the source of the problem can be found!
Yes, indeed a bug and I've forwarded it.
came here to post the same thing. Game 96230160, after my last 3 turns 17, 18 & 19, all spent $10, bought provinces, the interface never prompted me to discard wine merchant with my $2 overspend/left over.