Starting on the 29th of June each year, gun-toting individuals take to the street to do battle and leave pools of deep red wherever they go, hell-bent on causing chaos, intoxication and a whole lot of fun. Fun you say? Why yes! The Batalla del Vino sees individuals stock up on as much wine as possible, loaded into water-pistols, buckets, gourds and the like in order to cover each other in as much wine as possible.
Keep in mind you might not be wanting to wear your best formal clothes for this, instead, don something old or dirty, or yes, put on a bit of camo and get ready to strategize your way to dominating your opponents in this fun frenzy of a festival! The so called ‘Vino Guerrillas’ frequently use pump-action supersoakers and spray cans, so you’ll want to come prepared with some heavy artillery of your own, and the ammunition is often supplied by Biliblio’s local council in quantities of up to four litres per individual, as the battleground is most frequently in Bilibio, Haro, La Rioja.
Historically the battles started to commemorate a medieval-era dispute dating back over 300 years over properties with the neighbouring town of Miranda de Ebro. However, in recent decades the festival has seen more interest and new technology in the form of water guns used, instead of just having buckets and containers used to splash and pour red wine over each other.
If you’re not one for a heavy soaking in red wine, you should be sure to avoid the locals as they’ll be eager to demonstrate their prowess. But if getting involved in the wine warfare sounds like good fun to you then you should be sure to check SeekTeachers’ jobs page for Spain, we have new positions in the region, as well as all around the world, being uploaded. So make sure to sign up today!