A river of red wine flooded the streets of a Portuguese town this week in a bizarre incident at a local distillery.
Video footage from Anadia, Portugal, captured the stunning sight of wine cascading through the the narrow streets to create a wine soaked spectacle.
The disturbance occurred when two wine storage units at Destilaria Levira, a wine distillery in the village of São Lourenço do Bairro, unexpectedly exploded on Sunday.
The tanks were holding 600,000 gallons of red wine, which is the equivalent of the amount of liquid it takes to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Wine Flooding in Portugal 2.2 Million Litres Wine Flowed Through Portugal Town.
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) September 12, 2023
The mysterious wine river originated from a town distillery where tanks carrying barrels with over 2 million litres of red wine unexpectedly burst, The New York Post said.#Wine l #Portugal l… pic.twitter.com/f6J2fEoWOs
In a Facebook post, the distillery assured that no injuries were sustained by employees or local residents, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.
The distillery has committed to covering any damages caused by the wine, and has requested residents of the village to document their experiences through photographic evidence.
“We assume full responsibility for the costs associated with cleaning and repairing the damage, having teams do so immediately,” the distillery said statement.
The distillery extended its thanks to the Anadia Municipal Council and first responders for their efforts in mitigating the effects of the wine deluge.
Footage emerged on Monday of a river of red wine running through the street of a Portuguese village. Two tanks owned by the Levira Distillery failed on Sunday, releasing some 2.2 million liters of wine into the streets of São Lourenço do Bairro. pic.twitter.com/AOQ3cSXz5z
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 12, 2023
The Anadia Fire Department managed to save the town from flooding, or contaminating the nearby Certima River by diverting the stream into a nearby field.
This mishap involving the wine storage units is said to be part of a government initiative aimed at addressing the issue of over-production of wine, according to the distillery.
According to CBS News, inflation has caused an excess of wine, due to “reduced consumption” amid rising costs per bottle.
The wine sector has been hit so hard that the European Union has offered to assist wine makers in dealing with the overflow.