Red, Red Wine – and lots of it!

In the heart of northern Spain's La Rioja, where the wine flows as freely as the laughter, an extraordinary festival takes place every summer—the Haro Wine Festival. Held in honour of San Pedro, this is no ordinary celebration. It's a day where the line between sipping wine and wearing it gets gloriously blurred.

The goal? Pure, unfiltered fun—Spanish style. With wine-drinking competitions and the famed "Batalla Del Vino" (Wine Battle), locals and visitors alike revel in this joyous chaos. But instead of savouring each sip, festival-goers soak themselves—and everyone around them—in gallons of the region's finest red wines. Forget everything you know about wine tasting; this is all about wine wasting, and it’s glorious!

The Art of Weaponized Wine

Why just drink wine when you can hurl it? That's the ethos behind the Wine Battle, where attendees arm themselves with jugs, bottles, and anything that can hold liquid, ready to drench anyone in sight. Dressed in white shirts and red scarves, thousands march up to the Cliffs of Bilibio, where the mayor—on horseback, of course—leads the early morning procession. After a brief mass at the Hermitage of San Felices de Bilibio, the madness begins.

Paint the Town Red—Literally

Once the mass ends, it’s every person for themselves. Wine flies through the air in all directions as the town becomes a sea of red. No one escapes unscathed, and no clothing survives the drenching. By noon, nearly 50,000 litres of wine have been splattered across the crowd, leaving everyone drenched, sticky, and delighted.

The Aftermath

But the fun doesn’t stop there. The wine-soaked revellers, now purple and grinning from ear to ear, make their way to the Plaza de la Paz (ironically, the Square of Peace) for more celebrations. As the sun sets, the town’s bullring comes alive with evening bullfights, rounding off a day of unrelenting festivities.

A Festival with History

As with most Spanish traditions, there's a historical twist to the madness. The Wine Battle originated from a centuries-old dispute between the towns of Haro and Miranda de Ebro over the Bilibio hills. This "conflict" was transformed into an annual festival in 1906, turning a struggle into a celebration.

Why Not Join the Fun?

The Haro Wine Festival is free to attend, but it's strictly BYOB—Bring Your Own Bota (a traditional leather bottle). Whether you're looking to experience the region's world-famous wines or just want to let loose in the most unique way possible, this is the event for you.

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