Wine battle in Haro: Spain’s main wine duel will take place on June 29

Every year on June 29, the day of the city’s patron saint, St. Peter, the Wine Festival is held in Haro, the main event of which is the grandiose Wine Battle!  The city is located in La Rioja, Spain’s world-famous wine region.  And this tradition is a great way to have fun and pay tribute to the famous red wine of Haro. 

In 1965, the holiday was declared a «Festival of Tourist Interest» at the national level. In 2011, it received worldwide recognition and was awarded the title of «Festival of International Tourist Interest.» 

On the eve of the battle, on June 28, a big party takes place, during which all residents and guests of the city take to the streets and squares, have fun, dance and treat themselves to wine and pintxos in taverns and bars.  And already at 7 a.m. on June 29, Batalla del Vino de Haro starts. 

A procession of festival participants led by Mayor Haro heads to the Hermitage of San Felices. Thousands of liters of wine are also delivered here on festively decorated trucks and tractors. All participants in the event carry a variety of containers from which you can splash wine.

On-site, the mayor holds a short mass and gives the signal for the battle to begin. And at that very second, those around them begin to pour wine on each other. 

The battle ends around noon and the participants return to the city to change clothes and continue the fun at the Plaza de la Paz. And in the evening a bullfight takes place in the city arena. 

We wrote more about the Haro Wine Festival and Batalla del Vino de Haro here.

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Photo from flickr.com, by Alfonso Bermejo Garcia