A glass of burst enjoyed during dinner. A fresh Chardonnay at sunset. A champagne sparkling wine in a wedding. Usually a glass of wine is something to taste.
Except in a quiet northern city of Spain, where wine is used as ammunition.
Every year, on June 29, hundreds of inhabitants gather in Haro for a festival that celebrates the wine by which the surrounding region of La Rioja is famous, culminating in Batalla del Vino-The Battle of Wine.
Which began as a religious procession to the hermitage of San Felices, a historical place of worship at the top of a hill, evolved into a vibrant cultural celebration where thousands of participants soak with red wine using water pistols, buckets and bottles.
The chaotic and frantic event attracts crowds of tourists eager for absorbing the environment. But despite the huge amounts of wine released by the air, local authorities are concerned with visitors who appear only to abuse alcohol.
“We cannot transform this only into an alcohol consumption event,” says José Luis Pérez Pastor, Minister of Culture, Tourism, Sport and Youth of La Rioja, in statements to CNN.
Events starts at 7:30 am, when the mayor of Haro and members of the San Felices brotherhood gather to lead the pilgrims to the bilibio cliffs, where the hermitage is located.
After a mass celebrated on the spot, a rocket marks the beginning of the wine battle.
Participants, completely dressed in white with red scarves around their neck, proceed to get wet to each other until the clothes get a deep purple.
“Wine Baptisms”
The inhabitants spray and pour about 50,000 liters of wine over each other during the event. Marta Montana Gomez/Reuters
Although often portrayed as a light show, the festival has roots in deep traditions, religious history and local folklore.
It is said that it began in the 6th century, when pilgrimages in honor of Haro’s patron saint, San Felices, were made to the caves where it was buried. Over time, they became animated celebrations with “wine baptisms”, which became in the known wine battles today.
Another story of origin involves a land dispute in the twelfth century between Haro and the neighboring city of Miranda de Ebro, which led the inhabitants of both locations to make border recognition walks to ensure that property limits were well defined. It is said that this practice lasted over 400 years, until it was abandoned, when the sides began to throw wine at each other.
The event rules are described on the Batalla del Vino website. The purpose of the festival is to stain the neighbor with wine, making it darker than Haro’s pendon, a flag associated with the city.
Huge cistern wine trucks, each with up to 15,000 liters, are provided by the City Council for participants to fill their weapons.
In total, up to 50,000 liters can be launched every year.
Although this may seem like a criminal waste of good wine, the “vino” used in battle is not suitable for traffic jam as it has no great commercial value. Much is surplus or low quality.
Then the wine that drips through the slope is absorbed back by the ground or washed by the rain, as explained by the authorities.
At noon, after hours of battle, everyone returns to Plaza de La Paz, downtown Haro, where the inhabitants parade through the streets accompanied by philharmonic bands before-because we are in Spain-go to an arena to watch bullfighting and other events.
Participants also usually eat a traditional dish of the region: snails, or snails, cooked in a tomato and peppers stew at some point of the day.
“Surreal, alegre”
Tradition, with religious or territorial origins, dates back to centuries ago. Marta Montana Gomez/Reuters
In recent years, the event has gained visibility and now attracts visitors from around the world, thanks to viral publications on social networks and tourism growth.
Jessica and Eric Smith, American expats living in La Rioja who document Spanish rural life for over 100,000 followers, say they discovered the event while working with a rural housing association.
“The battle of wine itself lasts only three hours,” explains Eric. “It’s just a fun experience. It gets there and there are thousands of other people.”
To reach the top of the hill where the festivities take place, participants are transported part of the path by buses, with plastic -covered seats, a precaution to avoid wine damage on the return trip.
“The best part is that you enter this bus on your way to the battle of wine, but then stop and leave you in the middle of the vineyards. You then have to climb the hill for about 10 to 15 minutes to reach the battle site,” says Eric.
That’s where everything gets wild.
“At the entrance are these older Spanish gentlemen, who clearly participate in the battle of wine for years, with sprayers on the back full of wine,” explains Jessica. “You are already being sprayed. Then a child appears out of nowhere and pour a bucket of wine from the head.”
“At any moment, someone can pour you wine on top,” adds Eric. “The atmosphere of the battle of wine is just so much fun … You don’t know what to expect.”
The American considers that the environment gave her an instant feeling of belonging.
“I felt like it was adopted for a day,” he says. “It’s literally everything we love in Spanish culture, and I feel that you have a glimpse of it when you participate in this event.”
“We first went to Haro to Batalla in 2007 and we have returned every year since then,” says Toby Pamor, Director General of Stoke Travel, a British travel company that organizes excursions for the festival. “It was the most surreal, cheerful and authentic discovery.”
Although Paramus consider that your company’s packages with beer and wine included aim to provide travelers with a deeper experience of La Rioja, the festival organizers are concerned with their popularity and the preservation of cultural roots.
José Luis Pérez Pastor, Regional Minister of Culture and Tourism, says that the festival began “with faith and friendship” and is determined not to let it become a simple party.
“This is the only way to have a truly transformative experience – with respect and authenticity,” he argues.
“It’s not just about drinking. Watching Mass is an important cultural moment, even if not in the religious sense. It reflects centuries of tradition.”
