A River of Wine Flowed Through a Portuguese Village After a Tanker Spilled 600,000 Gallons in the Streets

The people living in São Lourenco do Bairro, a small village of fewer than 2,500 full-time residents in northern Portugal, got quite the surprise on Sunday when their streets turned into a raging river of wine. 

According to local media, the gasp-inducing event was all thanks to two tanks owned by the local Levira Distillery bursting, causing some 600,000 gallons of wine to pour out. And thanks to the community’s position on the side of a steep hillside, the wine quickly made its way through the narrow streets, creating an unforgettable scene. According to reports, enough wine was spilled to fill an entire Olympic-size swimming pool. 

According to The New York Post, local officials quickly took action to halt the flow of wine before it entered the Certima River. Firefighters were able to successfully divert the wine to a nearby field instead.

“We assume full responsibility for the costs associated with cleaning and repairing the damage, having teams do so immediately,” the distillery shared in a statement. “We are committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible.”

Those looking to get their wine fix in Portugal need not fear, as this community sits just two hours southwest of the Douro Valley, one of the world’s most spectacular wine regions. Home to dozens of vineyards with open tasting rooms for visitors to enjoy, it’s a place where you can get lost among the vines for days on end. However, if you want to dive even deeper into the nation’s rich history with wine, you can always head over to the northern city of Porto to enjoy a day at the expansive World of Wine showroom and museum and learn all about the history of wine in the nation, including its distinctive past growing cork trees. Can’t catch a flight anytime soon? Just pick up one of these 15 bottles of Portuguese wine to enjoy at home. Just try your hardest not to spill it.