There are festivals in Spain where people enjoy getting covered in tomatoes, flour, mud, or water, but perhaps the most famous is the one where they like to get covered in wine. I’d always thought it would be fun to participate in, but also confused as to how anyone would want to waste the elixir of the gods. Dionysus would not be impressed. Though, not one to shy away from a drunken orgy, he’d probably feel quite at home with all the revelling that goes on. After all, he is the “god of winemaking, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre – his wine, music, and ecstatic dances free his followers from self-conscious fear and care,” according to Wikipedia.
Which is certainly the case in Haro, La Rioja, a region in the north of Spain known for its long history of winemaking and quality reds. In fact, wine production was documented by the Phoenicians as far back as 1100 BCE but it wasn’t till the arrival of the Romans in the 2nd century BCE that grape cultivation and exportation of wine from Spain really flourished.
A bit more wine history to whet the appetite.
With the discovery of the Americas, Spanish wine became even more profitable leading to foreign grapes being banned in 1560 from entering La Rioja, and any wine exported had to be transported in wine skins branded with a seal to protect its authenticity.
In the 18th century, oak aging barrels helped improve the quality and longevity of the wine as did the introduction of large vats to crush and ferment the grapes, replacing the traditional way of foot stamping.
When the French wine industry was devastated in the 19th century by the phylloxera epidemic, it created an opportunity for La Rioja to expand into the French market, drawing investment into the region.
During the 20th century, world wars and a civil war meant wheat fields took priority over vineyards in order to feed the country, and it wasn’t until the 60s when the grapevines could once again be planted.
In 1991, La Rioja was the first region to be awarded the DOCa (Denomination of Qualified Origin) – the highest category in Spanish wine regulations, and they continue to be rated as some of the finest wines in the world.
Back to the fiesta – the origins.
The wine battle of Haro is held in honour of the patron saint San Felices who was said to have lived and died in the nearby cliffs of Bilibio in the 6th C. But while the saint’s day is on the 25th, the battle takes place on St Peter and Paul’s day on the 29th June.
The festival claims its origins in a territorial dispute that goes back to the 13th century. The cliffs lie between the city of Miranda de Ebro in Burgos and the town of Haro in La Rioja. The kingdom of Castile ruled that if Haro wanted to keep possession of the cliffs, they were to go there every St Peter’s Day and if they missed a year, the area would return to the jurisdiction of Miranda de Ebro. According to the La Rioja tourist website, the people poured wine over the boundary markers on the mountain cliffs to claim ownership of the land. 700 years later, the locals decided to use it as an excuse for yet another fiesta, and the rest is history.
The battle begins.
Seven o’clock in the morning of the 29th, thousands of locals and tourists dressed in white begin the 6km journey to the Bilibio Cliffs, armed with buckets, wine skins, water pistols, jugs, and even agricultural spraying equipment, full of wine. There is a Mass held in the hermitage of San Felices, after which the battle begins, and then it’s a free for all as wine is hurled, sprayed, poured and drunk.
There is an air of total abandonment; energetic dancing and singing to the music and a zealous commitment to making sure not a trace of white can be seen on anyone’s clothes. The battle is over when the wine runs out, which is usually about 100,000 litres of the stuff. But for anyone wondering, the wine used in the battle is reject wine – low quality that didn’t make the grade.
The all-pervasive smell of wine-soaked clothing emanates from the thousands of drenched revellers. The white colour ensures that everything turns to lilac? plum? mauve? Actually, it’s closer to the colour of heliotrope flowers – the pinker ones, (yes, I looked it up).
After the battle, Riojana snails are passed around and more wine flows, now inside the body and far more drinkable. People start heading back to town a little less steady on their feet, and the party continues in bars and restaurants till dawn.
Some useful tips for those planning on participating:
If you don’t have anything to use to fill up with wine, you can pick up some receptacle at the Town Hall or the Cultural Centre.
Be sure to wear white.
Protect your phone if you plan to take it.
If you don’t want to stagger the 6km back to town, there are complimentary buses available.
Book accommodation well in advance.
Camping sites near the town are also an option.
It’s a free event and open to the public.
2023 guide to the fiestas
Sat 24: Patron saint day fiestas for Saint Felices
Mon 26: Snail cooking and tasting contest. All night party
Tues 27: Children’s wine battle of grape juice.
Wed 28: Party all night. This year a Bruce Springstein tribute band will play between 11.45 and 2am
Thurs 29: Morning mass, battle, party all night.
Fri 30: Recover. Go home.
List of some of the best Rioja wines.
While in La Rioja, be sure to taste test the tapas in Logrono and visit one of the many bodegas (wineries) in the region. The native tempranillo is the dominant grape and is a perfect match for roasted meats, jamon and chorizo, as well as spicy meals. Well, almost anything really.
According to the Club Enologique, these are 8 of the best award-winning red wines that boast the perfect balance of fruit and oak.
LA RIOJA ALTA, VIÑA ARDANZA RESERVA 2016
BODEGAS ALTANZA, CRIANZA 2018
RIOJA VEGA, GRAN RESERVA 2015
BODEGAS TARÓN, PANTOCRATOR RESERVA 2011
SOLAR DE SAMANIEGO, VALCAVADA RESERVA 2017
LA RIOJA ALTA, VIÑA ALBERDI RESERVA 2018
MARQUÉS DE CARRIÓN, ANTAÑO CRIANZA 2018
RIOJA VEGA, COLECCIÓN TEMPRANILLO 2020