Haro, 29th June & Batalla del Vino

Moving on from Bilbao and leaving the rain behind us, our first stop in La Rioja found us, very early in the morning in Haro, on the 29th June. This was well-and-intentionally-timed as the 29th is St Pedro's day and every year, on this date, the Batalla del Vino (Battle of Wine) takes place.

To join the merriment, you need to be ready at 7am to make your way to a small hilltop chapel a few kilometers from the village where a quick mass is held. If you are new to this, worry not, for the white-clad, wine-bearing citizens of Haro are easy to spot. They will be following their mayor who rides to the hilltop on horseback. It's a long walk so you have the option of driving to the base of the hill and parking in a large field as many do. They even have coach parties heading that way, so there will be quite a procession. A bit like going to Glastonbury. Cross the River Tiron and turn an immediate left onto the LR-306 Av de la Miranda out of Haro. You can't miss it.

Mass over, mayhem ensues. If you are taking a camera, prepare to kiss it goodbye unless it is wrapped in layers of watertight plastic that is. You will get thoroughly drenched in young red wine. That's a promise.

you shall need one of these 

So why war? The battle marks a historic dispute between Haro and the neighbouring village Miranda del Ebro over who owns the mountains between. Yep. Territory. They take it very seriously. People come heavily armoured with an arsenal of water pistols, buckets and hoses. Some wear goggles. Some bring trombones. And they even have their own wine-dedicated emergency services: Team SOS-Rioja.

SOS-Rioja

Considering the number of casualties Team SOS-Rioja were very relaxed. No wonder - the battle is over very quickly, lasting no more than an hour, after which everyone slowly makes their way to the town square for more drinking, dousing each other in wine, dancing, eating and general debauchery. The car park was a mini-festival in itself with fires lit and music blasting from stereos. It's pretty remarkable that cars are driven back to Haro at all, but they get there, with people hanging out of windows and open boots, or sitting on -yes, sitting on - roofs.

Husband did berry well.

There is a downside. Many of the bodegas in and about Haro are closed during the fiesta, which lasts a good week. So if you want to visit the bodegas of Haro, of which there are many (Muga & CVNE to name but a few) bear in mind that they will be shut. On the upside, at some point you will probably rub wine-stained shoulders with the owners in the town square as the party does not stop. By 9am on the 29th of June, I'd hazard a guess that there isn't a sober soul in Haro.

All this revelry put us in the mood for more wine. Following the fest, we imposed ourselves on Bodegas Fernando Remirez de Ganuza for a tour and tasting, followed by a legendary lunch at Restaurante Alameda, which you can read about here.

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