The festival

‘La Batalla del Vino’ is one of the world’s biggest food and drink battles, held in La Rioja and you may have seen images before of wine-drenched people having fun in this small Spanish town. During the ‘Wine Battle’, over 500 litres of red wine are launched into the air, aiming to soak as many people as possible.

It takes place in the small town of Haro, in the heart of the Rioja wine region and the battle itself is held roughly 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) outside of the town, in the Riscos de Bilibio hills. The event is held every year on the 29^th of June, celebrating the saints of San Felices, San Pedro and San Juan. This curious tradition is rumoured to have begun due to disagreements between neighbouring towns, but today it is a joyful event enjoyed by locals and tourists from all across the world and has been given the designation of “Festival of International Tourist Interest”.

In the morning, locals and visitors make a pilgrimage to the cliffs and begin their battle, which continues until the wine covers everyone, and white clothes turn completely purple. At midday, after the fight, festival goers enjoy lamb chops and snails before proceeding to celebrate with music and dancing in the streets of Haro.

To join the fight, visitors must wear all white and tie a red handkerchief around their necks which is the typical costume of many festivals in northern Spain (make sure to wear clothes you don’t mind ruining!) You must also bring some sort of plastic container/bucket to fill with wine (although the prime option would be to use a water pistol as ammunition!) For those worrying about all of that wine going to waste, don’t fret, the wine used is comprised of vintages that did not pass the standards for sale.

For up-to-date information Haro’s wine festival, you can visit the official website here.

Paradors

Haro is surrounded by wineries and vineyards, and this area is the perfect place for wine-lovers to explore. There are several Paradors within easy driving distance of Haro and its vineyards including:

Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada – 19km, 20 min drive from Haro
This 12th century former pilgrim’s hospital is located in the heart of the important pilgrimage town it’s named after.

       Parador de Santo Domingo Bernardo de Fresneda – 19km, 20 min drive from Haro
This Parador occupies the former convent of San Francisco and is also located in Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

           Parador de Argomaniz – 59km, 40 min drive from Haro
This noble stone palace overlooks the Álavese countryside and is an easy drive from Bilbao.

       Other Paradors within driving distance of Haro include:

           Parador de Olite: located in an enchanting medieval town, Navarre – with a Gothic castle-palace and a history of royalty.

           Parador de Calahorra – in a city in La Rioja, with history dating back to Roman times. Discover its Cathedral and rich heritage.

           Parador Sos Del Rey Católico – situated in Aragon, where you can find a castle/palace, Jewish quarter and Gothic city walls with seven gates.