Wine Battle of Haro
One of the more unusual festivals takes place in Spain at the end of June in Haro (29th June), capital of High Rioja, where wine becomes a weapon. As the sun rises, participants make their way to the hermitage of St Felices where mass takes place and then the hostilities begin with thousands of litres of red wine sprayed and thrown from whatever people can get their hands on. The battle only stops when they run out in which case they head back to town to load up on more. This year will be the 100th Batalla del Vino, so expect it to be a raucous one.
The Haro tourist office is: www.haro.org
For some useful background info on Spanish wines, check: http://www.jrnet.com/vino
For a breakdown of exactly where different wines come from in Spain, check: http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions/spain/1
