Batalla del Vino
What: The ‘battle of the wine’ or ‘wine warfare’ is a chaotic, sticky and ultimately (depending on how much wine you drink) jolly battle, in which some 5000 people mark St Peters Day in the town of Haro, Spain by having an all night party and then heading to a local mountain to chuck, squirt, blast and douse each other in over 70,000 litres of red wine with whatever tools they can get their hands on without mercy.
Officially lasting four days (although one of the days is dedicated to recovery of hangovers) the festival begins two days before the wine battle, as the streets of Haro get set-up for the concerts, parties and wine consumption that follow, with the pre-wine battle party officially kicking off at nightfall the night before and lasting all the way till dawn, as local bands, wine makers and consumers gather in the towns main square to toast St Peter and prepare for battle.
As day breaks a quick mass is held, before the battlers all dressed in white, are led by the local mayor on horseback to the battlefield where all hell breaks loose and participants both enjoy wine and toss it at each other until the supplies run dry – before its back down to the hill to the square of Haro for more wine based parties.
When: The wine battle itself commences on the 29th June every year, regardless of the day of the week or the weather – the entire festival begins on the 27th with the start of music and creation of the stage, with the street night party taking place on the 28th and lasting till the start of the fight and the 30th being dedicated to rest, recovery and the nursing of hangovers !
Where: The festivities and pre wine battle street party take place on the streets of the town of Haro in Spain, with a big stage for concerts and entertainment being erected in the main square.
The battle itself takes place on a mountain about 7 kilometres outside the town (the best option is to walk there from the main square and follow the crowds) surrounded unsurprisingly by vineyards, where battlers must make the climb up a short steep section of the mountain to reach the battlefield that will most likely already be soaked in wine.
Duration: The entire festival lasts four days, however the pinnacle of the festival begins at 10pm the night before the wine battle (the 28th) where the streets of Haro will transform into an open party, concert and wine celebration.
This party continues all the way through dawn, at which point (around 7am) people will begin to gather in the square of Haro and begin to prepare make the walk to the mountain, all carrying wine jugs, bottles and super soaker, to prepare for battle led by the local town mayor on horseback.
As is tradition a short mass will then be held blessing the event, before the battle begins (around 9am) which will last for about 3 hours until all the wine is spent, at which point everyone will head back to the Plaza de la Paz to continue the party, or most likely, depending on the volume of wine consumed, take some much needed rest, before a celebratory evening party kicks in.
Tickets: No tickets are required to attend either the pre-wine battle or the battle itself – although you are responsible for your own wine, accommodation and transport – all of which it is recommended to arrange well in advance as Haro is a small town and the event is popular.
Need to Know: Aside from arranging your accommodation, transport and wine in advance, it’s necessary to wear white at the event (and a red scarf if you have one) as it gives everyone the chance to see just how much wine they’ve absorbed.
It’s also recommended to join the street party towards midnight with the locals on the 28th, and in true Haro wine festival spirit, stay up until the morning in the streets of Haro before heading to the wine battle on minimal sleep and full of wine.
