A wine-soaked pilgrimage
Haro’s famous wine battle is a wild community tradition
Hola, people! How is everyone doing today? As we enter a holiday week, I hope you all are able to take some time to yourselves, to soak in slower days and later sunsets, and of course to cook delicious things for your loved ones! I will try to do all of those things, and also, I will probably have some wine. Maybe I will drink some zurracapote, and if you tried our recipe for it last week, I hope you enjoyed it!
Speaking of wine, the region of La Rioja in Northern Spain just had its own amazing holiday on June 29—the Haro Wine Festival. The origins of the festival are a bit cloudy, but it is an incredible tradition that evolved over centuries to become one of the most unique, fun celebrations in the world—so much that it was named a Fiesta de Interés Turistico Internacional, which is one of the highest distinctions a festival can receive from the Spanish government.
La Rioja is one of the most amazing Spanish wine regions…and one of the best-known outside of the country. Wine has been here for thousands of years, since the Romans conquered the area, and the region is most famous for its complex and beautiful reds, though there are also some incredible whites, roses, sweet, and sparkling wines. People, did you know two of the most famous names in Rioja history—Marqués de Murrieta and Marqués de Riscal—both returned to Spain after spending time in Bordeaux? They brought what they learned back with them, and expanded winemaking throughout the region.
So, how did Haro become the center of the biggest, and maybe best, (...and maybe only?), wine battle in the world? This is also up for debate! Some people think that the battle (which, by the way, is all in good fun, and there are no winners or losers!) started because of a territory dispute between towns. Whatever the reason for its beginning, it has evolved from a religious pilgrimage into a big party!
On the morning of June 29th, partygoers dressed in white make a 4 mile journey on foot to Bilibio and attend a mass on the site of the San Felices de Bilibio hermitage. When the mass is over, everyone in town arms themselves with buckets, porrons, and all other kinds of containers filled with wine, and they start to soak each other—remember, everyone is dressed in white, so they turn purple during the wine battle! It is messy, but it is pure joy. Of course people will have a drink or two during the battle, but I’ve heard that tens of thousands of liters of wine are thrown around each year…that’s a lot of wine, people! Local winemakers and the city of Haro donate wine for the occasion, but people will also bring their own. Can you imagine bringing a heavy bag of wine up a mountain in the early morning? No wonder they want to get rid of it…however they can!
After the wine battle, everyone walks back to the town, completely covered in wine…but of course they are really happy about it! Once everyone cleans up, there is a big party in the Plaza de Paz (a perfect name for a place to return after a battle, no?), and everyone enjoys lunch together. And more wine!
The wine battle, or Batalla de Vino, happens every year on the 29th of June, which is the day of the patron saint San Pedro. The first real reports of the battle were written in 1898, and it now attracts people from all over the world. About 5,000 people a year attend the battle—so, with a town population of only 12,000, that’s a pretty big part of the population that participates. If you travel to Haro for the festival, give yourself a week before to experience all the parties leading up to it—you will be welcomed like a local! The most important celebration is the night before the battle…people stay up all night to welcome the sun before the procession to Bilibio.
It might be too late to travel to Haro for this year’s wine battle, but it’s an amazing medieval town whose local economy depends on the wine business, so you might think about adding it to your plans if you go to Spain any time of the year. Otherwise, I’m not TELLING you to get a bunch of wine and throw it at your friends and family around in your backyard, but I’m not NOT telling you to do it, either!
What do you know about the wines of Rioja? Do you have a favorite?
Many years ago when my then boyfriend and I started drinking wine we bought our first case. Solar di Sameniego Riojas from Reliable Liquors here in Chicago. It was $2.69 a bottle!
Many years later in Coconut Grove FL we found a bottle and celebrated our brilliant choices!
Since my last name now is Wineberg, it's my duty to drink 🍷, we still love Spanish wine!
We are in Haro almost every year but never during the wine battle. Looks like fun and we'll have to be there during that.